Ill niiii  ir<" 

3   1822 


CY  WHITTAKER'S 
PLACE 


JOSEPH  C.LINCOLN 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIPORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


3   1822  01322   1205 


ps 


UN 

C 

s 


CY    WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 


'"Isn't  it  a  truly  bell?     Didn't  it  ought  to  ring?" 

[Page  91] 


CY  WHITTAKER'S 
PLACE 

By 
JOSEPH    C.    LINCOLN 


Author  of 
"Cap'n  Eri,"  "Mr.  Pratt,"  etc. 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

WALLACE     MORGAN 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET    &     DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  BY 
D.   APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


FubUfheJ    September,  1WS 


TO 

F.    S.    L. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — THE  PERFECT  BOARDING  HOUSE     ....  i 

II. — THE  WANDERER'S  RETURN 20 

III— "Fixm'  OVER" 32 

IV. — BAILEY  BANGS'S  EXPERIMENT 53 

V. — A  FRONT  DOOR  CALLER 78 

VI. — ICICLES  AND  DUST 98 

VII. — CAPTAIN  CY  PROVES  DELINQUENT.       .       .       .115 

VIIL — THE  "Cow  LADY" 140 

IX. — POLITICS  AND  BIRTHDAYS 157 

X. — A  LETTER  AND  A  VISITOR 177 

XL — A  BARGAIN  OFF 190 

XII.— "TowN  MEETIN'" 212 

XIII. — THE  REPULSE 234 

XIV.— A  CLEW 256 

XV. — DEBBY  BEASLEY  TO  THE  RESCUE    ....  275 

vii 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTEa  PAGE 

XVI. — A  REMARKABLE  DRIVE  AND  WHAT  FOLLOWED      .  292 

XVII. — THE  CAPTAIN  REMEMBERS  His  AGE      .       .       .  310 

XVIII. — CONGRESSMAN  EVERDEAN 329 

XIX. — THE  TOPPLING  OF  A  MONUMENT    ....  346 

XX. — DIVIDED  HONORS 367 

XXI. — CAPTAIN  Cv's  "PICTURE" 386 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  'Isn't  it  a  truly  bell  ?     Didn'tit  oughttoring?'"  Frontispiece 
"We  was  a  spunky,  dare-devil  lot  in  the  old  days,  wan't 

we,  Ase?'" 14 

'"Is  this  your — horse?'  demanded  the  newcomer."  Facing  24 
'"Matildy/  I  says,  'he's  got  a  screw  loose  up  aloft  just  as  sure 

as  you're  a  born  woman.'" 33 

"'How  are  you,  Heman  ?     Fatter'n  you  used  to  be,  ain't 

you?"1 Facing       46 

"Well,  I  don't  want  none  of  your  miser'ble  money!'"  .  .  73 
"'Excuse  me  .  .  .  but  don't  you  think  that  plate  had  better 

be  done  over?'" .      107 

"We — we  didn't  know  you  had  company.'"  .  Facing  no 
"I  should  say  that  was  a  real  stylish  rig-out.'"  .  .  .123 
'"Scat!  Go  home!'  ordered  the  lady."  .  .  .  Facing  134 
'"I  don't  think  we  need  to  say  any  more.  Good  day.'" 

Facing     152 
"Look   here,  you  two!  how  would   I   look  on   the   school 

committee?"1 164 

'"So  get  every  vote  you  can.     Never  mind  how;  just  get 

'em.'" Facing     166 

'"I'll  kill  you  like  a  dog.'" 208 

ix 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"You've  said  enough!  Now  let  me  say  a  word!'"  .  .  225 
"He  stepped  upon  the  platform  beside  the  congressman."  .  231 
"The  teacher  rose  and  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm."  .  .  .  245 
"'Evenin',  gentlemen,'  said  the  captain."  .  .  Facing  250 
"'Ain't  that  fine?  The  paper  says:  "When  Congressman 

Atkins  delivered  this  noble  sentiment  a  hush  fell  upon 

the  excited  throng.'"  Facing  258 

"'I  did  find  out  something  too;  but  it  don't  really  amount  to 

nothin'."' Facing  270 

"Sprawled  across  the  rear  axle,  and  still  clinging  to  the  reins, 

hung  an  individual  by  the  name  of  Bangs."  .  Facing  302 
'" Don't — don't  get  mad,  Whit.  I  ain't  said  nothin'.'"  .  326 
"'Set  still!'  he  ordered.  'Set  still,  I  tell  you!'"  .  Facing  344 
''The  receiver  fell  from  the  congressman's  hand."  Facing  352 
"He  was  on  his  knees  beside  the  bed,  his  face  buried  in 

his  arms." Facing  362 

"'Cyrus,'  he  said,  'it  is  my  pleasant  duty  ...  to  welcome 

you  to  your — er — ancestral  home.'"  .  .  Facing  382 

'"I  don't  think  I'd  ought  to  let  you  shake  hands  with  me, 

Phoebe.'" Facing     396 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 


CHAPTER    I 

THE  PERFECT  BOARDING  HOUSE 

IT    is    queer,    but    Captain    Cy    himself    doesn't 
remember   whether   the    day   was   Tuesday    or 
Wednesday.     Asaph  Tidditt's  records  ought  to 
settle  it,   for  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  board  of 
selectmen  that  day,  and  Asaph  has  been  town  clerk 
in  Bayport  since  the  summer  before  the  Baptist  meet 
ing  house  burned.     But  on  the  record  the  date,  in 
Asaph's   handwriting,    stands    "  Tuesday,    May    10, 
189-  "  and,  as  it  happens,  May  10  of  that  year  fell 
on  Wednesday,  not  Tuesday  at  all. 

Keturah  Bangs,  who  keeps  "  the  perfect  boarding 
house,"  says  it  was  Tuesday,  because  she  remembers 
they  had  fried  cod  cheeks  and  cabbage  that  day — as 
they  have  every  Tuesday — and  neither  Mr.  Tidditt 
nor  Bailey  Bangs,  Keturah's  husband,  was  on  hand 
when  the  dinner  bell  rang.  Keturah  says  she  is  cer 
tain  it  was  Tuesday,  because  she  remembers  smelling 
the  boiled  cabbage  as  she  stood  at  the  side  door,  look 
ing  up  the  road  to  see  if  either  Asaph  or  Bailey  was 
coming.  As  for  Bailey,  he  says  he  remembers  being 

I 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

late  to  dinner  and  his  wife's  "  startin'  to  heave  a 
broadsides  into  him  "  because  of  it,  but  he  doesn't 
remember  what  day  it  was.  This  isn't  surprising; 
Keturah's  verbal  cannonades  are  likely  to  make  one 
forgetful  of  trifles. 

At  any  rate,  whether  Tuesday  or  Wednesday,  it  is 
certain  that  it  was  quarter  past  twelve,  according  to 
the  clock  presented  to  the  Methodist  Society  by 
the  Honorable  Heman  Atkins,  when  Asaph  Tidditt 
came  down  the  steps  of  the  townhall,  after  the  select 
men's  meeting,  and  saw  Bailey  Bangs  waiting  for  him 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 

"Hello,  Ase!"  hailed  Mr.  Bangs.  "You'll  be 
late  to  dinner,  if  you  don't  hurry.  I  was  headin'  for 
home,  all  sail  sot,  when  I  see  you.  What  kept  you?  " 

'  Town  business,  of  course,"  replied  Mr.  Tidditt, 
with  the  importance  pertaining  to  his  official  position. 
"What  kept  you,  for  the  land  sakes?  Won't  Ke- 
tury  be  in  your  wool?  " 

Bailey  hasn't  any  "  wool  "  worth  mentioning  now, 
and  he  had  very  little  more  then,  but  he  mopped  his 
forehead,  or  the  extension  above  it,  taking  off  his  cap 
to  do  so. 

"  I  cal'late  she  will,"  he  said,  uneasily.  "  Tell  you 
the  truth,  Ase,  I  was  up  to  the  store,  and  Cap'n  Jo- 
siah  Dimick  and  some  more  of  'em  drifted  in  and  we 
got  talkin'  about  the  chances  of  the  harbor  appro 
priation,  and  one  thing  or  'nother,  and  'twas  later'n 
I  thought  'twas  'fore  I  knew  it." 

2 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

The  appropriation  from  the  government,  which 
was  to  deepen  and  widen  our  harbor  here  at  Bayport, 
was  a  very  vital  topic  among  us  just  then.  Heman 
Atkins,  the  congressman  from  our  district,  had  prom 
ised  to  do  his  best  for  the  appropriation,  and  had  for 
a  time  been  very  sanguine  of  securing  it.  Recently, 
however,  he  had  not  been  quite  as  hopeful. 

"  What's  Cap'n  Josiah  think  about  the  chances?  " 
asked  Asaph  eagerly. 

"  Well,  sometimes  he  thinks  *  Yes  '  and  then  again 
he  thinks  *  No,'  "  replied  Bailey.  "  He  says,  of 
course,  if  Heman  is  able  to  get  it  he  will,  but  if  he 
ain't  able  to,  he — he " 

"  He  won't,  I  s'pose.  Well,  /  can  think  that  my 
self,  and  I  don't  set  up  to  be  no  inspired  know-it-all, 
like  Joe  Dimick.  He  ain't  heard  from  Heman  lately, 
has  he?" 

"  No,  he  ain't.  Neither's  anybody  else,  so  fur  as 
I  can  find  out." 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  have.    /  have,  for  one." 

Mr.  Bangs  stopped  short  in  his  double-quick  march 
for  home  and  dinner,  and  looked  his  companion  in 
the  face. 

"  Ase  Tidditt !  "  he  cried.  "  Do  you  mean  to  tell 
me  you've  had  a  letter  from  Heman  Atkins,  from 
Washin'ton?" 

Asaph  nodded  portentously. 

'  Yes,    sir,"    he   declared.      "  A   letter   from   the 
Honorable     Heman     G.     Atkins,     of    Washin'ton, 

3 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

D.  C.,  come  to  me  last  night.  I  read  it  afore  I 
turned  in." 

"You  did!     And  never  said  nothin'  about  it?  " 

"  Why  should  I  say  anything  about  it?  'Twas  ad 
dressed  to  me  as  town  clerk,  and  was  concernin'  a 
matter  to  be  took  up  with  the  board  of  s'lectmen.  I 
ain't  in  the  habit  of  hollerin'  town  affairs  through  a 
speakin'  trumpet.  Folks  that  vote  for  me  town-meet- 
in'  day  know  that,  I  guess.  Angie  Phinney  says  to 
me  only  yesterday,  '  Mr.  Tidditt,'  says  she,  '  there's 
one  thing  I'll  say  for  you — you  don't  talk.'  ' 

Miss  Phinney  boarded  with  the  Bangses,  and 
Bailey  was  acquainted  with  her  personal  peculiari 
ties;  for  that  matter  so  were  most  of  Bayport's  per 
manent  residents. 

"  Humph !  "  he  snorted  indignantly.  "  She 
thought  'twas  a  good  thing  not  to  talk,  hey?  She 
did?  Well,  by  mighty!  you  never  get  no  chance  to 
talk  when  she's  around.  Angie  Phinney!  Why, 
when  that  poll  parrot  of  hers  died,  Alph'us  Smalley 
declared  up  and  down  that  what  killed  it  was  jeal 
ousy  and  disapp'inted  ambition;  he  said  it  broke  its 
heart  tryin'  to  keep  up  with  Angie.  Her  ma  was  the 
same  breed  of  cats.  I  remember " 

The  talking  proclivities  of  females  is  the  one  topic 
upon  which  Keturah's  husband  is  touchiest.  Asaph 
knew  this,  but  he  delighted  to  stir  up  his  chum  oc 
casionally.  He  chuckled  as  he  interrupted  the  flow  of 
reminiscence. 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

"  There,  there,  Bailey!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  know 
as  much  about  Angle's  tribe  as  you  do,  I  cal'late. 
Ain't  we  a  little  mite  off  the  course?  Seems  to  me 
we  was  talkin'  about  Heman's  letter." 

"  Is  that  so?  I  judged  from  what  you  said  we 
wa'n't  goin'  to  talk  about  it.  Aw,  don't  be  so  mean, 
Ase  !  Showin'  off  your  importance  like  a  young  one  ! 
What  did  Heman  say  about  the  appropriation?  Is 
he  goin'  to  get  it?  " 

Mr.  Tidditt  paused  before  replying.  Then,  bend 
ing  over,  he  whispered  in  his  chum's  ear : 

"  He  never  said  one  word  about  the  appropriation, 
Bailey;  not  one  word.  He  wanted  to  know  if  we'd 
got  this  year's  taxes  on  the  Whittaker  place.  And, 
if  we  hadn't,  what  was  we  goin'  to  do  about  it? 
Bailey,  between  you  and  me  and  the  mizzenmast,  He- 
man  Atkins  wants  to  get  ahold  of  that  place  the 
worst  way." 

"  He  does?  He  does!  For  the  land  sakes,  ain't 
he  got  property  enough  already?  Ain't  a — a  palace 
like  that  enough  for  one  man,  without  wantin'  to  buy 
a  rattletrap  like  that?  " 

The  first  "  that "  wras  emphasized  by  a  brandished 
but  reverent  left  hand;  the  second  by  a  derisively 
pointing  right.  The  two  friends  had  reached  the 
crest  of  the  long  slope  leading  up  from  the  townhall. 
On  one  side  of  the  road  stretched  the  imposing  front 
age  of  the  "  Atkins  estate,"  with  its  iron  fence  and 
stone  posts;  on  the  other  slouched  the  weed-grown, 

2  5 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

tumble-down  desolation  of  the  "  Cy  Whittaker 
place."  The  contrast  was  that  of  opulent  prosperity 
and  poverty-stricken  neglect. 

If  our  village  boasted  one  of  those  horseless  jug 
gernauts,  such  as  are  used  to  carry  sightseers  in  Bos 
ton  from  the  old  North  Church  to  the  Public  Library 
and  other  points  of  interest — that  is,  if  there  was  a 
"  seeing  Bayport  "  car,  it  is  from  this  hill  that  its 
occupants  would  be  given  their  finest  view  of  the  vil 
lage  and  its  surroundings.  As  Captain  Josiah  Dim- 
ick  always  says:  "  Bayport  is  all  north  and  south, 
like  a  codfish  line.  It  puts  me  in  mind  of  Seth  Hig- 
gins's  oldest  boy.  He  was  so  tall  and  thin  that  when 
they  bought  a  suit  of  clothes  for  him,  they  used  to 
take  reefs  in  the  sides  of  the  jacket  and  use  the  cloth 
to  piece  onto  the  bottoms  of  the  trousers'  legs." 
What  Captain  Joe  means  is  that  the  houses  in  the 
village  are  all  built  beside  three  roads  running  longi 
tudinally.  There  is  the  "  main  road  "  and  the  "  up 
per  road  " — or  "  Woodchuck  Lane,"  just  as  you  pre 
fer — and  the  "  lower  road,"  otherwise  known  as 
Bassett's  Holler." 

The  "  upper  road  "  is  sometimes  called  the  "  de 
pot  road,"  because  the  railroad  station  is  conveniently 
located  thereon — convenient  for  the  railroad,  that  is 
— the  station  being  a  full  mile  from  Simmons's  "  gen 
eral  store,"  which  is  considered  the  center  of  the 
town.  The  upper  road  enters  the  main  road  at  the 
corner  by  the  store,  and  there  also  are  the  Methodist 

6 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

meetinghouse  and  the  schoolhouse.  The  townhall 
is  in  the  hollow  farther  on.  Then  comes  the  big  hill 
— "  Whittaker's  Hill  " — and  from  the  top  of  this 
hill  you  can,  on  a  clear  day,  see  for  miles  across  the 
salt  marshes  and  over  the  bay  to  the  eastward,  and 
west  as  far  as  the  church  steeple  in  Orham.  If  there 
happens  to  be  a  fog,  with  a  strong  easterly  wind,  you 
cannot  see  the  marshes  or  the  bay,  but  you  can  smell 
them,  wet  and  salty  and  sweet.  It  is  a  smell  that  the 
born  Bayporter  never  forgets,  but  carries  with  him 
in  memory  wherever  he  goes;  and  that,  in  the  palmy 
days  of  the  merchant  marine,  was  likely  to  be  far, 
for  every  male  baby  in  the  village  was  born  with  web 
feet,  so  people  said,  and  was  predestined  to  be  a  sailor. 

When  Heman  Atkins  came  back  from  the  South 
Seas  early  in  the  '6o's,  "  rich  as  dock  mud,"  though 
still  a  young  man,  he  promptly  tore  down  his  father's 
old  house,  which  stood  on  the  crest  of  Whittaker's 
Hill,  and  built  in  its  place  a  big  imposing  residence. 
It  was  by  far  the  finest  house  in  Bayport,  and  Heman 
made  it  finer  as  the  years  passed.  There  were  imi 
tation  brownstone  pillars  supporting  its  front  porch, 
iron  dogs  and  scroll  work  iron  benches  bordering  its 
front  walk,  and  a  pair  of  stone  urns,  in  summer  filled 
with  flowers,  beside  its  big  iron  front  gate. 

Heman  was  our  leading  citizen,  our  representative 
in  Washington,  and  the  town's  philanthropist.  He 
gave  the  Atkins  memorial  window  and  the  Atkins 
tower  clock  to  the  Methodist  Church.  The  Atkins 

7 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

town  pump,  also  his  gift,  stood  before  the  townhall. 
The  Atkins  portrait  in  the  Bayport  Ladies'  Library 
was  much  admired;  and  the  size  of  the  Atkins  for 
tune  was  the  principal  subject  of  conversation  at  sew 
ing  circle,  at  the  table  of  "  the  perfect  boarding 
house,"  around  the  stove  in  Simmons's  store,  or 
wherever  Bayporters  were  used  to  gather.  We  never 
exactly  worshipped  Heman  Atkins,  perhaps,  but  we 
figuratively  doffed  our  hats  when  his  name  was  men 
tioned. 

The  "  Cy  Whittaker  place  "  faced  the  Atkins  es 
tate  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  main  road,  but  it 
was  the  general  opinion  that  it  ought  to  be  ashamed 
to  face  it.  Almost  everybody  called  it  "  the  Cy  Whit- 
taker  place,"  although  some  of  the  younger  set  spoke 
of  it  as  the  "  Sea  Sight  House."  It  was  a  big,  old- 
fashioned  dwelling,  gambrel-roofed  and  brown  and 
dilapidated.  Originally  it  had  enjoyed  the  dignified 
seclusion  afforded  by  a  white  picket  fence  with  square 
gateposts,  and  the  path  to  its  seldom-used  front  door 
had  been  guarded  by  rigid  lines  of  box  hedge.  This, 
however,  was  years  ago,  before  the  second  Captain 
Cy  Whittaker  died,  and  before  the  Howes  family 
turned  it  into  the  "  Sea  Sight  House,"  a  hotel  for 
summer  boarders. 

The  Howeses  "  improved  "  the  house  and  grounds. 
They  tore  down  the  picket  fence,  uprooted  the  box 
hedges,  hung  a  sign  over  the  sacred  front  door,  and 
built  a  wide  veranda  under  the  parlor  windows. 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

They  took  boarders  for  five  consecutive  summers; 
then  they  gave  up  the  unprofitable  undertaking,  re 
turned  to  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  their  native 
city,  and  left  the  Cy  Whittaker  place  to  bear  the 
ravages  of  Bayport  winters  and  Bayport  small  boys 
as  best  it  might. 

For  years  it  stood  empty.  The  weeds  grew  high 
about  its  foundations ;  the  sparrows  built  nests  behind 
such  of  its  shutters  as  had  not  been  ripped  from  their 
hinges  by  February  no'theasters;  its  roof  grew  bald 
in  spots  as  the  shingles  loosened  and  were  blown 
away;  the  swallows  flew  in  and  out  of  its  stone-broken 
windowpanes.  Year  by  year  it  became  more  of  a  dis 
grace  in  the  eyes  of  Bayport's  neat  and  thrifty  in 
habitants — for  neat  and  thrifty  we  are,  if  we  do  say 
it.  The  selectmen  would  have  liked  to  tear  it  down, 
but  they  could  not,  because  it  was  private  property, 
having  been  purchased  from  the  Howes  heirs  by  the 
third  Cy  Whittaker,  Captain  Cy's  only  son,  who  ran 
away  to  sea  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  and  was 
disinherited  and  cast  off  by  the  proud  old  skipper  in 
consequence.  Each  March,  Asaph  Tidditt,  in  his 
official  capacity  as  town  clerk,  had  been  accustomed 
to  receive  an  envelope  with  a  South  American  post 
mark,  and  in  that  envelope  was  a  draft  on  a  Boston 
banking  house  for  the  sum  due  as  taxes  on  the  "  Cy 
Whittaker  place."  The  drafts  were  signed  "  Cyrus 
M.  Whittaker." 

But  this  particular  year — the  year  in  which  this 

9 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

chronicle  begins — no  draft  had  been  received.  Asaph 
waited  a  few  weeks  and  then  wrote  to  the  address 
indicated  by  the  postmark.  His  letter  was  unan 
swered.  The  taxes  were  due  in  March  and  it  was 
now  May.  Mr.  Tidditt  wrote  again ;  then  he  laid  the 
case  before  the  board  of  selectmen,  and  Captain  Eben 
Salters,  chairman  of  that  august  body,  also  wrote. 
But  even  Captain  Eben's  authoritative  demand  was 
ignored.  Next  to  the  harbor  appropriation,  the  ques 
tion  of  what  should  be  done  about  the  "  Cy  Whit- 
taker  place  "  filled  Bayport's  thoughts  that  spring. 
No  one,  however,  had  supposed  that  the  Honorable 
Heman  might  wish  to  buy  it.  Bailey  Bangs's  sur 
prise  was  excusable. 

"  What  in  the  world,"  repeated  Bailey,  "  does  He- 
man  want  of  a  shebang  like  that?  Ain't  he  got 
enough  already?  " 

His  friend  shook  his  head. 

"  'Pears  not,"  he  said.  "  I  judge  it's  this  way, 
Bailey:  Heman,  he's  a  proud  man " 

"  Well,  ain't  he  got  a  right  to  be  proud?  "  broke 
in  Mr.  Bangs,  hastening  to  resent  any  criticism  of  the 
popular  idol.  "  Cal'late  you  and  me'd  be  proud  if 
we  was  able  to  carry  as  much  sail  as  he  does,  wouldn't 
we?" 

"  Yes,  I  guess  like  we  would.  But  you  needn't  get 
red  in  the  face  and  strain  your  biler  just  because  I 
said  that.  I  ain't  finding  fault  with  Heman ;  I'm  only 

tellin'  you.  He's  proud,  as  I  said,  and  his  wife " 

10 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

"  She's  dead  this  four  year.  What  are  you  resur- 
rectin'  her  for?  " 

"  Land!  you're  peppery  as  a  West  Injy  omelet  this 
mornin'.  Let  me  alone  till  I've  finished.  His  wife, 
when  she  was  alive,  she  was  proud,  too.  And  his 
daughter,  Alicia,  she's  eight  year  old  now,  and  by  and 
by  she'll  be  grown  up  into  a  high-toned  young  woman. 
Well,  Heman  is  fur-sighted,  and  I  s'pose  likely  he's 
thinkin'  of  the  days  when  there'll  be  young  rich  fel 
lers — senators  and — and — well,  counts  and  lords, 
maybe — cruisin'  down  here  courtin'  her.  By  that 
time  the  Whittaker  place'll  be  a  worse  disgrace  than 
'tis  now.  I  presume  he  don't  want  those  swells  to  sit 
on  his  front  piazza  and  see  the  crows  buildin'  nests 
in  the  ruins  acrost  the  road.  So " 

"  Crows !  Did  you  ever  see  a  crow  build  a  nest 
in  a  house?  I  never  did!  " 

"  Oh,  belay !  Crows  or  canary  birds,  what  dif 
ference  does  it  make?  Somethin'  '11  nest  there,  if  it's 
only  A'nt  Sophrony  Hallett's  hens.  So  Heman  he 
writes  to  the  board,  askin'  if  the  taxes  is  paid,  if  we've 
heard  any  reason  why  they  ain't  paid,  and  what  we're 
goin'  to  do  about  it.  If  there's  a  sale  for  taxes  he 
wants  to  be  fust  bidder.  Then,  when  the  place  is  his, 
he  can  tear  down  or  rebuild,  just  as  he  sees  fit.  See  ?  " 
'  Yes,  I  see.  Well,  I  feel  about  that  the  way  Joe 
Dimick  felt  when  he  heard  the  doctor  had  told  Elviry 
Pepper  she  must  stop  singin'  in  the  choir  or  lose  her 
voice  altogether.  '  Whichever  happens  '11  be  an  im- 

ii 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

provement,'  says  Cap'n  Joe;  and  whatever  Heman 
does  '11  help  the  Whittaker  place.  What  did  you 
decide  at  the  meetin'?  " 

"  Nothin'.  We  can't  decide  yet.  We  ain't  sure 
about  the  law  and  we  want  to  wait  a  spell,  anyhow. 
But  I  know  how  'twill  end:  Atkins  '11  get  the  place. 
He  always  gets  what  he  wants,  Heman  does." 

Bailey  turned  and  looked  back  at  the  old  house, 
forlorn  amidst  its  huddle  of  blackberry  briers  and 
weeds,  and  with  the  ubiquitous  "  silver-leaf  "  saplings 
springing  up  in  clusters  everywhere  about  it  and  clos 
ing  in  on  its  defenseless  wails  like  squads  of  victori 
ous  soldiery  making  the  final  charge  upon  a  con 
quered  fort. 

"  Well,"  sighed  Mr.  Bangs,  "  so  that  '11  be  the  end 
of  the  old  Whittaker  place,  hey?  Sho  !  things  change 
in  a  feller's  lifetime,  don't  they?  You  and  me  can 
remember,  Ase,  when  Cap'n  Cy  Whittaker  was  one 
of  the  biggest  men  we  had  in  this  town.  So  was  his 
dad  afore  him,  the  Cap'n  Cy  that  built  the  house.  I 
wonder  the  looks  of  things  here  now  don't  bring 
them  two  up  out  of  their  graves.  Do  you  remember 
young  Cy — '  Whit '  we  used  to  call  him — or  '  Reddy 
Whit,'  'count  of  his  red  hair?  I  don't  know's  you 
do,  though ;  guess  you'd  gone  to  sea  when  he  run 
away  from  home." 

Mr.  Tidditt  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  no !  "  he  said.  "  I  was  to  home  that  year. 
Remember  '  Whit '?  Well,  I  should  say  I  did.  He 

12 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

was  a  holy  terror — yes,  sir !  Wan't  no  monkey  shines 
or  didos  cut  up  in  this  town  that  young  Cy  wan't  into. 
Fur's  that  goes,  you  and  me  was  in  'em,  too,  Bailey. 
We  was  all  holy  terrors  then.  Young  ones  nowadays 
ain't  got  the  spunk  we  used  to  have." 

His  friend  chuckled. 

"That's  so,"  he  declared.  "That's  so.  Whit 
was  a  good-hearted  boy,  too,  but  full  of  the  Old 
Scratch  and  as  sot  in  his  ways  as  his  dad,  and  if  Cap'n 
Cy  wan't  sot,  then  there  ain't  no  sotness.  '  You'll  go 
to  college  and  be  a  parson,'  says  the  Cap'n.  '  I'll  go 
to  sea  and  be  a  sailor,  same  as  you  done,'  says  Whit. 
And  he  did,  too ;  run  away  one  night,  took  the  packet 
to  Boston,  and  shipped  aboard  an  Australian  clipper. 
Cap'n  Cy  didn't  go  after  him  to  fetch  him  home. 
No,  sir — ee !  not  a  fetch.  Sent  him  a  letter  plumb  to 
Melbourne  and,  says  he:  'You've  made  your  bed; 
now  lay  in  it.  Don't  you  never  dast  to  come  back  to 
me  or  your  ma,'  he  says.  And  Whit  didn't,  he  wan't 
that  kind." 

"  Pretty  nigh  killed  the  old  lady — Whit's  ma — 
that  did,"  mused  Asaph.  "  She  died  a  little  spell  af 
terwards.  And  the  old  man  pined  away,  too,  but  he 
never  give  in  or  asked  the  boy  to  come  back.  Stub 
born  as  all  get-out  to  the  end,  he  was,  and  willed  the 
place,  all  he  had  left,  to  them  Howes  folks.  And  a 
nice  mess  they  made  of  it.  Young  Cy,  he " 

"Young  Cy!"  interrupted  Bailey.  "We're  al 
ways  callin'  him  '  young  Cy,'  and  yet,  when  you  come 

13 


"  «  We  aw  a  spunky,   dare-devil  lot  in  the  old  days, 
wan't  we,   Ase  ? '  ; 

to  think  of  it,  he  must  be  pretty  nigh  fifty-five  now; 
'most  as  old  as  you  and  I  be.  Wonder  if  he'll  ever 
come  back  here." 

"  You   bet   he  won't !  "   was   the   oracular   reply. 

14 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

"  You  bet  he  won't !  From  what  I  hear  he  got  to  be 
a  sea  cap'n  himself  and  settled  down  there  in  Buenos 
Ayres.  He's  made  all  kinds  of  money,  they  say,  out 
of  hides  and  such.  What  he  ever  bought  his  dad's 
old  place  for,  7  can't  see.  He'll  never  come  back  to 
these  common,  one-horse  latitudes,  now  you  mark  my 
word  on  that!  " 

It  was  a  prophecy  Mr.  Tidditt  was  accustomed  to 
make  each  year  to  the  crowd  at  the  post  office,  when 
the  receipt  for  the  draft  for  taxes  caused  him  to  wax 
reminiscent.  The  younger  generation  here  in  Bay- 
port  regard  their  town  clerk  as  something  of  an  ora 
cle,  and  this  regard  has  made  Asaph  a  trifle  vain  and 
positive. 

Bailey  chuckled  again. 

'  We  was  a  spunky,  dare-devil  lot  in  the  old  days, 
wan't  we,  Ase?  "  he  said.  "  Spunk  was  kind  of  born 
in  us,  as  you  might  say.  And  even  now  we're " 

The  Atkins  tower  clock  boomed  once — a  solemn, 
dignified  stroke.  Mr.  Tidditt  and  his  companion 
started  and  looked  at  each  other. 

"Godfrey  scissors!"  gasped  Asaph.  "Is  that 
half  past  twelve?  " 

Mr.  Bangs  pulled  a  big  worn  silver  watch  from 
his  pocket  and  glanced  at  the  dial. 

"  It  is!  "  he  moaned.  "As  sure's  you're  born,  it 
is!  We've  kept  Ketury's  dinner  waitin'  twenty  min 
utes.  You  and  me  are  in  for  it  now,  Ase  Tidditt! 
Twenty  minutes  late !  She'll  skin  us  alive." 

15 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Mr.  Tidditt  did  not  pause  to  answer,  but  plunged 
headlong  down  the  hill  at  a  race-horse  gait,  Bailey 
pounding  at  his  heels.  For  "  born  dare-devils,"  self- 
confessed,  they  were  a  nervous  and  apprehensive  pair. 

The  "  perfect  boarding  house  "  is  situated  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  beyond  "  Whittaker's  Hill,"  nearly  op 
posite  the  Salters  homestead.  The  sign,  hung  on  the 
pole  by  the  front  gate,  reads,  "  Bayport  Hotel. 
Bailey  Bangs,  Proprietor,"  but  no  one  except  the 
stranger  in  Bayport  accepts  that  sign  seriously. 
When,  owing  to  an  unexpected  change  in  the  admin 
istration  at  Washington,  Mr.  Bangs  was  obliged  to 
relinquish  his  position  as  our  village  postmaster,  his 
wife  came  to  the  rescue  with  the  proposal  that  they 
open  a  boarding  house.  "  '  Whatsoe'er  you  find  to 
do,'  quoted  Keturah  at  sewing-circle  meeting,  '  do 
it  then  with  all  your  might !  '  That's  a  good  Sabbath- 
school  hymn  tune  and  it's  good  sense  besides.  I  in 
tend  to  make  it  my  life  work  to  run  just  as  complete 
a — a  eatin'  and  lodgin'  establishment  as  I  can.  If, 
when  I'm  laid  to  rest,  they  can  put  onto  my  grave 
stone,  '  She  run  the  perfect  boardin'  house,'  /'//  be 
satisfied.1' 

This  remark,  and  subsequent  similar  declarations, 
were  widely  quoted,  and,  therefore,  though  casual 
visitors  may  refer  to  the  "  Bayport  Hotel,"  to  us 
natives  the  Bangs  residence  is  always  "  Keturah's  per 
fect  boarding  house."  As  for  the  sign's  affirmation 
of  Mr.  Bangs  proprietorship,  that  is  considered  the 

16 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

cream  of  the  joke.  The  idea  of  meek,  bald-headed 
little  Bailey  posing  as  proprietor  of  anything  while 
his  wife  is  on  deck,  tickles  Bayport's  sense  of  humor. 

The  perspiring  delinquents  panted  into  the  yard  of 
the  perfect  boarding  house  and  tremblingly  opened 
the  door  leading  to  the  dining  room.  Dinner  was 
well  under  way,  and  Mrs.  Bangs,  enthroned  at  the 
end  of  the  long  table,  behind  the  silver-plated  tea 
pot,  was  waiting  to  receive  them.  The  silence  was 
appalling. 

"  Sorry  to  be  a  little  behindhand,  Ketury,"  stam 
mered  Asaph  hurriedly.  "  Town  affairs  are  impor 
tant,  of  course,  and  can't  be  neglected.  I " 

"Yes,  yes;  that's  so,  Ketury,"  cut  in  Mr.  Bangs. 
«  You  see " 

"  Hum  !  Yes,  I  see."  Keturah's  tone  was  several 
degrees  below  freezing.  "  Hum !  I  s'pose  'twas  town 
affairs  kept  you,  too,  hey?  " 

'  Well,  well — er — not  exactly,  as  you  might  say, 
but — "  Bailey  squeezed  himself  into  the  armchair 
at  the  end  of  the  table  opposite  his  wife,  the  end 
which,  with  sarcasm  not  the  less  keen  for  being  unin 
tentional,  was  called  the  "  head."  "  Not  exactly 
town  affairs,  'twan't  that  kept  me,  Ketury,  but — 
My!  don't  them  cod  cheeks  smell  good?  You  always 
could  cook  cod  cheeks,  if  I  do  say  it." 

The  compliment  was  wasted.  Mrs.  Bangs  had  a 
sermon  to  deliver,  and  its  text  was  not  "  cod  cheeks." 

"  Bailey  Bangs,"  she  began,  "  when  I  was  brought 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

to  realize  that  my  husband,  although  apparently  an 
able-bodied  man,  couldn't  support  me  as  I'd  been 
used  to  be  supported,  and  when  I  was  forced  to  sup 
port  him  by  keepin'  boarders,  I  says,  '  If  there's  one 
thing  that  my  house  shall  stand  for  it's  punctual 
promptness  at  meal  times.  I  say  nothing,'  I  says 
'  about  the  inconvenience  of  gettin'  on  with  only  one 
hired  help  when  we  ought  to  have  three.  If  Provi 
dence,  in  its  unscrutable  wisdom,'  I  says,  '  has  seen  fit 
to  lay  this  burden  onto  me,  the  burden  of  a  household 
of  boarders  and  a  husband  whom '  ' 

And  just  then  the  power  referred  to  by  Mrs.  Bangs 
intervened  to  spare  her  husband  the  remainder  of  the 
preachment.  From  the  driveway  of  the  yard,  beside 
the  dining-room  windows,  came  the  rattle  of  wheels 
and  the  tramp  of  a  horse's  feet.  Mrs.  Matilda 
Tripp,  who  sat  nearest  the  windows,  on  that  side,  rose 
and  peered  out. 

"  It's  the  depot  wagon,  Ketury,"  she  said. 
"  There's  somebody  inside  it.  I  wonder  if  they're 
comin'  here." 

"  Transients  "  were  almost  unknown  quantities  at 
the  Bayport  Hotel  in  May.  Consequently,  all  the 
boarders  and  the  landlady  herself  crowded  to  the 
windows.  The  "  depot  wagon  "  had  drawn  up  by 
the  steps,  and  Gabe  Lumley,  the  driver,  had  de 
scended  from  his  seat  and  was  doing  his  best  to  open 
the  door  of  the  ancient  vehicle.  It  stuck,  of  course; 
the  doors  of  all  depot  wagons  stick. 

18 


THE    PERFECT    BOARDING    HOUSE 

"  Hold  on  a  shake!  "  commanded  some  one  inside 
the  carriage.  "  Wait  till  I  get  a  purchase  on  her. 
Now,  then!  All  hands  to  the  ropes!  Heave — hoi 
There  she  comes!  " 

The  door  flew  back  with  a  bang.  A  man  sprang 
out  upon  the  lower  step  of  the  porch.  The  eye  of 
every  inmate  of  the  perfect  boarding  house  was 
on  him.  Even  the  "  hired  help  "  peered  from  the 
kitchen  door. 

"  He's  a  stranger,"  whispered  Mrs.  Tripp.  "  I 
never  see  him  before,  did  you,  Mr.  Tidditt?  " 

The  town  clerk  did  not  answer.  He  was  staring 
at  the  depot  wagon's  passenger,  staring  with  a  face 
the  interested  expression  of  which  was  changing  to 
that  of  surprise  and  amazed  incredulity.  Mrs.  Tripp 
turned  to  Mr.  Bangs;  he  also  was  staring,  open- 
mouthed. 

"Godfrey  scissors!"  gasped  Asaph,  under  his 
breath.  "  Godfrey — scissors  !  Bailey,  I — I  believe 
— I  swan  to  man,  I  believe " 

"Ase  Tidditt!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Bangs,  "am  I 
goin'  looney,  or  is  that — is  that " 

Neither  finished  his  sentence.  There  are  times 
when  language  seems  so  pitifully  inadequate. 


CHAPTER    II 

THE  WANDERER'S  RETURN 

HERE  in  Bayport,  nowadays,  the  collecting  of 
"  antiques  "  is  a  favorite  amusement  of  our 
summer  visitors.  Those  of  us  who  were 
fortunate  enough  to  possess  a  set  of  nicked  blue 
dishes,  a  warming  pan,  or  a  tall  clock  with  wooden 
wheels,  have  long  ago  parted  with  these  treasures  for 
considerable  sums.  Oddly  enough  Sylvanus  Cahoon 
has  profited  most  by  this  craze.  Sylvanus  used  to  be 
judged  the  unluckiest  man  in  town;  of  late  this  judg 
ment  has  been  revised. 

It  was  Sylvanus  who,  confined  to  the  house  by  an 
illness  brought  on  by  eating  too  much  "  sugar  cake  " 
at  a  free  sociable  given  by  the  Methodist  Society, 
arose  in  the  night  and  drank  copiously  of  what  he  sup 
posed  to  be  the  medicine  left  by  the  doctor.  It  hap 
pened  to  be  water-bug  poison,  and  Sylvanus  was 
nearly  killed  by  the  dose.  He  is  reported  as  having 
admitted  that  he  "  didn't  mind  dyin'  so  much,  but 
hated  to  die  such  a  dum  mean  death." 

While  convalescent  he  took  to  smoking  in  bed  and 
was  burned  out  of  house  and  home  in  consequence. 

20 


THE    WANDERER'S    RETURN 

Then  it  was  that  his  kind-hearted  fellow  citizens  do 
nated,  for  the  furnishing  of  his  new  residence,  all  the 
cast-oft  bits  of  furniture  and  odds  and  ends  from  their 
garrets.  "  Charity,"  observed  Captain  Josiah  Dim- 
ick  at  the  time,  "  begins  at  home  with  us  Bayporters, 
and  it  generally  begins  up  attic,  that  bein'  nighest  to 
heaven." 

Later  Sylvanus  sold  most  of  the  donations  as  "  an 
tiques  "  and  made  money  enough  therefrom  to  buy 
a  new  plush  parlor  set.  Miss  Angeline  Phinney  never 
called  on  the  Cahoons  after  that  without  making  her 
appearance  at  the  front  door.  "  I'll  get  some  good 
out  of  that  plush  sofy  I  helped  to  pay  for,"  de 
clared  Angeline,  "  if  it's  only  to  wear  it  out  by 
settin'  on  it." 

There  are  two  "  antiques  "  in  Bayport  which  have 
not  yet  been  sold  or  even  bid  for.  One  is  Gabe 
Lumley's  "  depot  wagon,"  and  the  other  is  "  Dan'l 
Webster,"  the  horse  which  draws  it.  Both  are  very 
ancient,  sadly  in  need  of  upholstery,  and  jerky  of 
locomotion. 

Gabe  was,  as  usual,  waiting  at  the  station  when  the 
down  train  arrived,  on  the  Tuesday — or  Wednesday 
— of  the  selectmen's  meeting.  The  train  was  due,  ac 
cording  to  the  time-table,  at  eleven  forty-five.  This 
time-table,  and  the  signboard  of  the  "  Bayport  Ho 
tel  "  are  the  only  bits  of  humorous  literature  peculiar 
to  our  village,  unless  we  add  the  political  editorials 
of  the  Bayport  Breeze. 

3  21 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

So,  at  eleven  forty-five,  Mr.  Lumley  was  serenely 
dozing  on  the  baggage  truck,  which  he  had  wheeled 
to  the  sunny  side  of  the  platform.  At  five  minutes 
past  twelve,  he  yawned,  stretched,  and  looked  at  his 
watch.  Then,  rolling  off  the  truck,  he  strolled  to  the 
edge  of  the  platform  and  spoke  authoritatively  to 
"  Dan'l  Webster." 

"  Hi  there!  stand  still!  "  commanded  Mr.  Lumley. 

Standing  still  being  DanTs  long  suit,  the  order 
was  obeyed.  Gabe  then  loafed  to  the  door  of 
the  station  and  accosted  the  depot  master,  who 
was  nodding  in  his  chair  beside  the  telegraph  in 
strument. 

"Where  is  she  now,  Ed?"  asked  Mr.  Lumley, 
referring  to  the  train. 

"  Just  left  South  Harniss.  Be  here  pretty  soon. 
What's  your  hurry?  Expectin'  anybody?  " 

"  Naw;  nobody  that  I  know  of,  special.  Sophrony 
Hallett's  gone  to  Ostable,  but  she  won't  be  back 
till  to-morrow  I  cal'late.  Hello !  there  she  whistles 
now." 

Needless  to  say  it  was  the  train,  not  the  widow 
Hallett,  that  had  whistled.  The  depot  master  rose 
from  his  chair.  A  yellow  dog,  his  property,  scram 
bled  from  beneath  it,  and  rushing  out  of  the  door  and 
to  the  farther  end  of  the  platform,  barked  furiously. 
Cephas  Baker,  who  lives  across  the  road  from  the 
depot,  slouched  down  to  his  front  gate.  His  wife 
opened  the  door  of  her  kitchen  and  stood  there,  her 

22 


THE    WANDERER'S    RETURN 

wet  arms  wrapped  in  her  apron.  The  five  Baker 
children  tore  round  the  corner  of  the  house,  over  the 
back  fence,  and  lined  up,  whooping  joyously,  on  the 
platform.  A  cloud  of  white  smoke  billowed  above 
the  clump  of  cedars  at  the  bend  of  the  track.  Then 
the  locomotive  rounded  the  curve  and  bore  down 
upon  the  station. 

"  Stand  still,  I  tell  you  !  "  shouted  Gabe,  addressing 
the  horse. 

Dan'l  Webster  opened  one  eye,  closed  it  and  re 
lapsed  into  slumber. 

The  train,  a  combination  baggage  car  and  smoker, 
two  freight  cars  and  a  passenger  coach,  rolled  ponder 
ously  alongside  the  platform.  From  the  open  door 
of  the  baggage  car  were  tossed  the  mail  sack  and  two 
express  packages.  The  conductor  stepped  from  the 
passenger  coach.  Following  him  came  briskly  a 
short,  thickset  man  with  a  reddish-gray  beard  and 
grayish-red  hair. 

"  Coin'  down  to  the  village,  Mister?  "  inquired 
Mr.  Lumley.  "  Carriage  right  here." 

The  stranger  inspected  the  driver  of  the  depot 
wagon,  inspected  him  deliberately  from  top  to  toe. 
Then  he  said: 

"  Down  to  the  village?  Why,  yes,  I  wouldn't 
wonder.  Say!  you're  a  Lumley,  ain't  you?  " 

"  Why!  why — yes,  I  be!  How'd  you  know  that? 
Ain't  ever  seen  you  afore,  have  I?  " 

"  Guess  not,"  with  a  quiet  chuckle.     "  I've  never 

23 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

seen  you,  either,  but  I've  seen  your  nose.  I'd  know  a 
Lumley  nose  if  I  run  across  it  in  China." 

The  possessor  of  the  "  Lumley  nose  "  rubbed  that 
organ  in  a  bewildered  fashion.  Recovering  in  a 
measure  he  laughed,  rather  half-heartedly,  and 
begged  to  know  if  the  trunk,  then  being  unloaded 
from  the  baggage  car,  belonged  to  his  prospective 
passenger.  As  the  answer  was  an  affirmative  nod,  he 
secured  the  trunk  check  and  departed,  still  rubbing 
his  nose. 

When  he  returned,  with  the  trunk  on  the  truck, 
he  found  the  stranger,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
standing  before  Dan'l  Webster  and  gazing  at  that 
animal  with  an  expression  of  acute  interest. 

"  Is  this  your — horse?  "  demanded  the  newcomer, 
pausing  before  the  final  word  of  his  question. 

"  It's  so  cal'lated  to  be,"  replied  Gabe,  with  dig 
nity. 

"  Hum  !     Does  he  work  nights?  " 

"  Work  nights?     No,  course  he  don't!  " 

"  Oh,  all  right!  Then  you  can  wake  him  up  with 
a  clear  conscience.  I  didn't  know  but  he  needed  the 
sleep.  What's  his  record?  " 

"Record?" 

'  Yup;  his  trottin'  record.  Anybody  can  see  he's 
built  for  speed,  narrow  in  the  beam  and  sharp  fore 
and  aft.  Shall  I  get  aboard  the  barouche?  " 

The  depot  master,  who  was  on  hand  to  help  with 
the  trunk,  grinned  broadly.  Mr.  Lumley  sulkily 

24 


THE    WANDERER'S    RETURN 

made  answer  that  his  passenger  might  get  aboard  if 
he  wanted  to.  Apparently  he  wanted  to,  for  he 
sprang  into  the  depot  wagon  with  a  bounce  that  made 
the  old  vehicle  rock  on  its  springs. 

'  Jerushy !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  she  rolls  some,  don't 
she  ?  Never  mind,  my  ballast  '11  keep  her  on  an  even 
keel.  Trunk  made  fast  astern?  All  right!  Say! 
you  might  furl  some  of  this  spare  canvas  so's  I  can 
take  an  observation  as  we  go  along.  Don't  go  so  fast 
that  the  scenery  gets  blurred,  will  you?  It's  been 
some  time  since  I  made  this  cruise,  and  I'd  rather  like 
to  keep  a  lookout." 

The  driver  "  furled  the  canvas  " — that  is,  he  rolled 
up  the  curtains  at  the  sides  of  the  carryall.  Then  he 
climbed  to  the  front  seat  and  took  up  the  reins. 

"  Git  up !  "  he  shouted  savagely.  Dan'l  Webster 
did  not  move. 

The  passenger  offered  a  suggestion.  "  Why  don't 
you  try  hangin'  an  alarm  clock  in  his  fore-riggin'  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Haw !  haw !  "  roared  the  depot  master. 

"  Git  up,  you — you  lump!"  bellowed  the  har 
assed  Mr.  Lumley.  Dan'l  pricked  up  one  ear,  then  a 
hoof,  and  slowly  got  under  way.  As  the  equipage 
passed  the  Baker  homestead,  the  whole  family  was 
clustered  about  the  gate,  staring  at  the  occupant  of 
the  wagon.  The  stare  was  returned. 

'Who  lives  in  there?"  demanded  the  stranger. 
"Who  are  those  folks?" 

25 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Ceph  Baker's  tribe,"  was  the  sullen  answer. 

"Baker,  hey?  Humph!  new  folks,  I  presume 
likely.  Used  to  be  Seth  Snow's  house,  that  did. 
Where'd  Seth  go  to?" 

Gabe  grunted  that  he  did  not  know.  He  believed 
Mr.  Snow  was  dead,  had  died  years  before. 

"Humph!  dead,  hey?  Then  I  know  where  he 
went.  Do  you  ever  smoke — or  does  drivin'  this 
horse  make  you  too  nervous?  " 

Mr.  Lumley  thawed  a  bit  at  the  sight  of  the  prof 
fered  cigar.  He  admitted  that  he  smoked  occasion 
ally  and  that  he  guessed  "  'twouldn't  interfere  with 
the  drivin'  none." 

"  Good  enough !  then  we'll  light  up.  I  can  talk 
better  if  I'm  under  a  head  of  steam.  There's  a  new 
house;  who  built  that?  " 

The  "  new  "  house  was  fifteen  years  old,  but  Gabe 
gave  the  name  of  its  builder.  Then,  thinking  that 
the  catechising  had  been  altogether  too  one-sided,  he 
ventured  an  observation  of  his  own. 

"  This  is  a  pretty  good  cigar,  Mister,"  he  said. 
"  Smokes  like  a  Snowflake." 

"Like  a  what?" 

"  Like  a  Snowflake.  That's  about  the  best 
straight  five  center  you  can  get  around  here.  Sim 
mons  used  to  keep  'em,  but  the  drummer's  cart  ain't 
called  lately  and  he's  all  out." 

'  That's  a  shame.  I  told  the  train  boy  that  these 
smoked  like  somethin',  but  I  didn't  know  what  to  call 

26 


THE   WANDERER'S    RETURN 

it.  Much  obliged  to  you.  Here's  another;  put  it  in 
your  pocket.  Oh,  no  thanks;  pleasure's  all  mine. 
Who's  Simmons?  " 

Gabe  described  the  Simmons  general  store  and  its 
proprietor.  Then  he  added: 

"I  was  noticin'  that  trunk  of  yours,  Mister;  it's 
all  plastered  over  with  labels,  ain't  it?  Cal'late  that 
trunk's  done  some  traveling  hey?  " 

"Think  so,  do  you?" 

"  Yup.  Gee  !  I'd  like  to  travel  myself.  But  no  ! 
I  got  to  stay  all  my  life  in  this  dead  'n'  alive  hole.  I 
wanted  to  go  to  Boston  and  clerk  in  a  store,  but  the 
old  man  put  his  foot  down,  and  here  I've  stuck  ever 
sence.  Git  up,  Dan'l !  What's  the  matter  with 
you?" 

The  passenger  smiled,  but  there  was  a  dreamy  look 
in  his  gray  eyes. 

"  Don't  find  fault,  son,"  he  said.  "  There's  worse 
places  in  the  world  than  old  Bayport,  and  worse  judg 
ment  than  mindin'  your  dad.  Don't  forget  that  or 
you  may  be  sorry  for  it  some  day."  He  sniffed 
eagerly.  "  Ah!  "  he  exclaimed,  "  just  smell  that,  will 
you?  Ain't  that  fine?  " 

"  Humph !  that's  the  flats.  You  can  smell  'em  any 
time  when  the  tide's  out  and  the  wind's  right.  You 
see,  the  tide  goes  out  pretty  fur  here  and— 

;'  Don't  I  know  it?  Son,  I've  been  waitin'  thirty 
odd  year  for  that  smell  and  here  'tis  at  last.  Drive 
slow  and  let  me  fill  up  on  it.  Just  blow  that — that 

27 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Snowstorm  of  yours  the  other  way  for  a  spell,  won't 
you?  Thanks." 

The  request  to  be  driven  slow  was  so  superfluous 
that  Mr.  Lumley  paid  no  attention  to  it.  He  puffed 
industriously  at  the  Snowflake  and  watched  his  com 
panion,  who,  leaning  forward  on  the  seat,  was  gazing 
out  at  the  town  and  the  bay  beyond  it.  The  "  depot 
hill  "  is  not  as  high  as  Whittaker's  Hill,  but  the  view 
is  almost  as  extensive. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mister,"  observed  Gabe,  after  an  in 
terval,  "  but  you  ain't  said  where  you're  goin'." 

The  passenger  came  out  of  his  day  dream  with  a 
start. 

"Why,  that's  right!"  he  exclaimed.  "So  I 
haven't!  Well,  now,  where  would  you  go,  if  you 
was  me?  Is  there  a  hotel  or  tavern  or  somethin'?  " 

"  Yup.  There's  the  Bayport  Hotel.  'Tain't  ex 
actly  a  hotel,  neither.  We  call  it  the  perfect  boardin' 
house  'round  here.  You  see " 

He  proceeded  to  tell  the  story  of  "  the  perfect 
boarding  house."  His  listener  seemed  greatly  inter 
ested,  and  although  he  laughed,  did  not  interrupt  un 
til  the  tale  was  ended. 

"  So!  "  he  said,  chuckling.  "  Bailey  Bangs,  hey? 
Stub  Bangs!  Well,  well!  And  he  married  Ketury 
Payson  !  How  in  time  did  he  ever  find  spunk  enough 
to  propose?  And  Ketury  runs  the  perfect  boardin' 
house !  Well,  that  ought  to  be  job  enough  for  one 
woman.  She  runs  Bailey,  too,  on  the  side,  I  s'pose?  " 

28 


THE    WANDERER'S    RETURN 

"  You  bet  you !  He  don't  dast  to  say  *  boo  '  to  a 
chicken  when  she's  'round.  I  say,  Mister!  I  don't 
know's  I  know  your  name,  do  I?  I  judge  you've 
been  here  afore  so " 

"  Yes,  I've  been  here  before.  Whose  is  that  big 
place  up  there  across  our  bows?  The  one  with  the 
cupola  on  the  main  truck?  " 

"  That,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Lumley,  oratorically,  "  be 
longs  to  the  Honorable  Heman  G.  Atkins,  and  it's 
probably  the  finest  in  this  county.  Heman  is  our 
representative  in  Washin'ton,  and —  Did  you  say 
anything?  " 

The  passenger  had  said  something,  but  he  did  not 
repeat  it.  He  was  leaning  from  the  carriage  and 
gazing  steadily  up  the  slope  ahead.  And  his  gaze, 
strange  to  say,  was  not  directed  at  the  imposing  At 
kins  estate,  but  at  its  opposite  neighbor,  the  old  "  Cy 
Whittaker  place." 

Slowly,  laboriously,  Dan'l  Webster  mounted  the 
hill.  At  the  crest  he  would  have  paused  to  take 
breath,  but  the  driver  would  not  let  him. 

"  Git  along,  you  1  "  he  commanded,  flapping  the 
reins. 

And  then  Mr.  Lumley  suffered  the  shock  of  a  sur 
prise.  The  hitherto  cool  and  self-possessed  occupant 
of  the  rear  seat  seemed  very  much  excited.  His  big 
red  hand  clasped  Mr.  Lumley's  over  the  reins,  and 
Dan'l  was  brought  to  an  abrupt  standstill. 

''  Heave  to !  "  he  ordered,  sharply,  and  the  tone 

29 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

was  that  of  one  who  has  given  many  orders  and  ex 
pects  them  to  be  obeyed.  "Belay!  Whoa,  there! 
Great  land  of  love!  look  at  that!  look  at  it!  Who 
did  that?" 

The  mate  to  the  big  red  hand  pointed  to  the  front 
door  of  the  Whittaker  place.  Gabe  was  alarmed. 

"  Done  what?  Done  which?  "  he  gasped.  "  What 
you  talkin'  about?  There  ain't  nobody  lives  in  there. 
That  house  has  been  empty  for — 

"Where's  the  front  fence?"  demanded  the  ex 
cited  passenger.  "What's  become  of  the  hedge? 
And  who  put  up  that — that  darned  piazza?  " 

The  piazza  had  been  where  it  now  was  almost 
since  Mr.  Lumley  could  remember.  He  hastened  to 
reply  that  he  didn't  know;  he  wasn't  sure;  he 
presumed  likely  'twas  "  them  New  Hampshire 
Howeses,"  when  they  ran  a  summer  boarding  house. 

The  stranger  drew  a  long  breath.  '  Well,  of  all 
the — "  he  began.  Then  he  choked,  hesitated,  and 
ordered  his  driver  to  heave  ahead  and  run  alongside 
the  hotel  as  quick  as  the  Almighty  would  let  him. 
Gabe  hastened  to  obey.  He  was  now  absolutely  cer 
tain  that  his  companion  was  an  escaped  lunatic,  and 
the  sooner  another  keeper  was  appointed  the  better. 
The  remainder  of  the  trip  was  made  in  silence. 

Mrs.  Bangs  opened  the  door  of  the  perfect  board 
ing  house  and  stood  majestically  waiting  to  receive 
the  prospective  guest.  Over  her  shoulders  peered  the 
faces  of  the  boarders. 

30 


THE    WANDERER'S    RETURN 

"  Good  afternoon,"  began  the  landlady.  "  I  pre 
sume  likely  you  would  like  to " 

She  was  interrupted.  The  newcomer  turned  to 
ward  her  and  extended  his  hand. 

"Hello,  Ketury!"  he  said.  "I  ain't  seen  you 
sence  you  wore  your  hair  up,  but  you're  just  as  good- 
lookin'  as  ever.  And  ain't  that  Bailey?  Yes,  'tis, 
and  Asaph,  too!  How  are  you,  boys?  Shake!  " 

Mr.  Bangs  and  his  chum,  the  town  clerk,  had 
emerged  from  the  doorway.  Their  mouths  and  eyes 
were  wide  open  and  they  seemed  to  be  suffering  from 
a  sort  of  paralysis. 

"Well?  What's  the  matter  with  you?"  de 
manded  the  arrival.  "  Ain't  too  stuck  up  to  shake 
hands  after  all  these  years,  are  you?  " 

Bailey's  mouth  closed  in  order  that  it's  possessor 
might  swallow.  Then  it  slowly  reopened. 

"  I  swan  to  man !  "  he  ejaculated.  "  W 'ell!  I  swan 
to  man !  I — I  b'lieve  you're  Cy  Whittaker !  " 

"  Course  I  am.  Have  to  dye  my  carrot  top  if  I 
want  to  play  anybody  else.  But  look  here,  boys,  you 
answer  my  question  :  who  had  the  cheek  to  rig  up  that 
blasted  piazza  on  my  house?  It  starts  to  come  down 
to-morrow  mornin' !  " 


MISS  ANGELINE  PHINNEY  made  no 
less  than  nine  calls  that  afternoon.  Be 
fore  bedtime  it  was  known,  from  the  last 
house  in  "  Woodchuck  Lane  "  to  the  fish  shanties  at 
West  Bayport,  that  "  young  Cy "  Whittaker  had 
come  back;  that  he  had  come  back  "  for  good  ";  that 
he  was  staying  temporarily  at  the  perfect  boarding 
house;  that  he  was  "  awful  well  off  " — having  made 
lots  of  money  down  in  South  America;  that  he  in 
tended  to  "  fix  over  "  the  Whittaker  place,  and  that 
it  was  to  be  fixed  over,  not  in  a  modern  manner,  with 
plush  parlor  sets — a  la  Sylvanus  Cahoon — nor  with 
onyx  tables  and  blue  and  gold  chairs  like  those  adorn 
ing  the  Atkins  mansion.  It  was  to  be,  as  near  as  pos 
sible,  a  reproduction  of  what  it  had  been  in  the  time 
of  the  late  "  Cap'n  Cy,"  young  Cy's  father. 

"  /  think  he's  out  of  his  head,"  declared  Miss 
Phinney,  in  confidence,  to  each  of  the  nine  females 
whom  she  favored  with  her  calls.  "  Not  crazy,  you 
understand,  but  sort  of  touched  in  the  upper  story. 
I  says  so  to  Matildy  Tripp,  said  it  right  out,  too: 

32 


"  '  Matildy,'    I  says,    'he's  got  a  screw  joose  up  aloft  just 
as  sure  as  you're  a  born  woman!' 

*  Matildy,'  I  says,  '  he's  got  a  screw  loose  up  aloft  just 
as  sure  as  you're  a  born  woman !  '  '  What  makes 
you  think  so?'  says  she.  'Well,'  says  I,  'do  you 
s'pose  anybody  that  wan't  foolish  would  be  for 
spendin'  good  money  on  an  old  house  to  make  it 
older!  '  I  says.  Coin'  to  tear  down  the  piazza  the 
fust  thing!  Perfectly  good  piazza  that  cost  ninety- 

33 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

eight  dollars  and  sixty  cents  to  build;  I  know,  because 
I  see  the  bill  when  the  Howeses  had  it  done.  And 
he's  goin'  to  set  out  box  hedges,  somethin'  that  ain't 
been  the  style  in  this  town  sence  Congressman  Atkins 
pulled  up  his.  '  What  in  the  world,  Cap'n  Whit- 
taker,'  says  I  to  him,  '  do  you  want  of  box  hedges? 
Homely  and  stiff  and  funeral  lookin' !  I  might  have 
'em  around  my  grave  in  the  buryin'  ground,'  I  says, 
'  but  nowheres  else.'  '  All  right,  Angie,'  says  he, 
'  you  shall  have  'em  there;  I'll  cut  some  slips  purpose 
for  you.  It'll  be  a  pleasure,'  he  says.  Now  ain't  that 
crazy  talk  for  a  grown  man?" 

Miss  Phinney  was  not  the  only  one  in  our  village 
to  question  Captain  Cy  Whittaker's  sanity  during  the 
next  few  months.  The  majority  of  our  people  didn't 
understand  him  at  all.  He  was  generally  liked,  for 
although  he  had  money,  he  did  not  put  on  airs,  but  he 
had  his  own  way  of  doing  things,  and  they  were  not 
Bayport  ways. 

True  to  his  promise,  he  had  a  squad  of  carpenters 
busy,  on  the  day  following  his  arrival,  tearing  down 
the  loathed  piazza.  These  carpenters,  and  more, 
were  kept  busy  throughout  that  entire  spring  and 
well  into  the  summer.  Then  came  painters  and  gar 
deners.  The  piazza  disappeared;  a  new  picket  fence, 
exactly  like  the  old  one  torn  down  by  the  Howeses, 
was  erected;  new  shutters  were  hung;  new  window- 
panes  were  set;  the  roof  was  newly  shingled.  Cap 
tain  Cy,  Senior,  had,  in  his  day,  cherished  a  New 

34 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

England  fondness  for  white  and  green  paint;  there 
fore  the  new  fence  was  white  and  the  house  was 
white  and  the  blinds  a  brilliant  green.  Rows  of  box 
hedge,  the  plants  brought  from  Boston,  were  set  out 
on  each  side  of  the  front  walk.  The  Howes  front 
door  bell — a  clamorous  gong — was  removed,  and  a 
glass  knob  attached  to  a  spring  bell  of  the  old-fash 
ioned  "  jingle  "  variety  took  its  place.  An  old-fash 
ioned  flower  garden — Cap'n  Cy's  mother  had  loved 
posies — was  laid  out  on  the  west  lawn  beyond  the 
pear  trees.  All  these  changes  the  captain  superin 
tended;  when  they  were  complete  he  turned  his  at 
tention  to  interior  decoration. 

And  now  Captain  Cy  proceeded  to,  literally,  as 
tonish  the  natives.  Among  the  Howes  "  improve 
ments  "  were  gilt  wall  papers  and  modern  furniture 
for  the  lower  floor  of  the  house.  The  furniture  they 
had  taken  with  them ;  the  wall  paper  had  perforce 
been  left  behind.  And  the  captain  had  every  scrap 
of  that  paper  stripped  from  the  walls,  and  the  latter 
re-covered  with  quaint,  ugly,  old-fashioned  patterns, 
stripes  and  roses  and  flowered  sprays  with  impossible 
birds  flitting  among  them.  The  Bassett  decorators 
has  pasted  the  gilt  improvement  over  the  old  Whit- 
taker  paper,  and  it  was  the  Whittaker  paper  that  the 
captain  did  his  best  to  match,  sending  samples  here, 
there,  and  everywhere  in  the  effort.  Then,  upon  the 
walls  he  hung  old-fashioned  pictures,  such  as  Bay- 
port  dwellers  had  long  ago  relegated  to  their  attics, 
4  35 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

pictures  like  "  From  Shore  to  Shore,"  "  Christian 
Viewing  the  City  Beautiful,"  and  "  Signing  the  Dec 
laration."  To  these  he  added,  bringing  them  from 
the  crowded  garret  of  the  homestead,  oil  paintings 
of  ships  commanded  by  his  father  and  grandfather, 
and  family  portraits,  executed — which  is  a  peculiarly 
fitting  word — by  deceased  local  artists  in  oil  and 
crayon. 

He  boarded  up  the  fireplace  in  the  sitting  room 
and  installed  a  base-burner  stove,  resurrected  from 
the  tinsmith's  barn.  He  purchased  a  full  "  haircloth 
set"  of  parlor  furniture  from  old  Mrs.  Penniman, 
who  never  had  been  known  to  sell  any  of  her  hoarded 
belongings  before,  even  to  the  "  antiquers,"  and 
wouldn't  have  done  so  now,  had  it  not  been  that  the 
captain's  offer  was  too  princely  to  be  real,  and  the 
old  lady  feared  she  might  be  dreaming  and  would 
wake  up  before  she  received  the  money.  And  from 
Trumet  to  Ostable  he  journeyed,  buying  a  chair  here 
and  a  table  there,  braided  rag  mats  from  this  one, 
and  corded  bedsteads  and  "  rising  sun  "  quilts  from 
that.  At  least  half  of  Bayport  believed  with  Gabe 
Lumley  and  Miss  Phinney  that,  if  Captain  Cy  had 
not  escaped  from  a  home  for  the  insane,  he  was  a 
likely  candidate  for  such  an  institution. 

At  the  table  of  the  perfect  boarding  house  the  cap 
tain  was  not  inclined  to  be  communicative  regarding 
his  reasons  and  his  intentions.  He  was  a  prime  fa 
vorite  there,  praising  Keturah's  cooking,  joking  with 

36 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

Angelina  concerning  what  he  was  pleased  to  call  her 
"  giddy "  manner  of  dressing  and  wearing  "  side 
curls,"  and  telling  yarns  of  South  American  dress 
and  behavior,  which  would  probably  have  shocked 
Mrs.  Tripp — she  having  recently  left  the  Methodist 
church  to  join  the  "  Come-Outers,"  because  the 
Sunday  services  of  the  former  were,  with  the  organ 
and  a  paid  choir,  altogether  "  too  play-actin'  " — if 
they  had  not  been  so  interesting,  and  if  Captain  Cy 
had  not  always  concluded  them  with  the  observation : 
"  But  there !  you  can't  expect  nothln'  more  from  ig 
norant  critters  denied  the  privileges  of  congregational 
singin'  and  experience  meetin's;  hey,  Matilda?  " 

Mrs.  Tripp  would  sigh  and  admit  that  she  sup 
posed  not, 

"  Only  I  do  wish  Mr.  Daniels,  our  minister,  might 
have  a  chance  to  preach  over  'em,  poor  things !  " 

"  So  do  I,"  with  a  covert  wink  at  Mrs.  Bangs,  who 
was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  regular  faith.  "  South 
America  'd  be  just  the  place  for  him;  ain't  that  so, 
Keturah?" 

He  evaded  all  personal  questions  put  to  him  by 
the  boarders,  explaining  that  he  was  renovating  the 
old  place  just  for  fun — he  always  had  had  a  gang 
of  men  working  for  him,  and  it  seemed  natural  some 
how.  But  to  the  friends  of  his  boyhood,  Asaph  Tid- 
ditt  and  Bailey  Bangs,  he  told  the  real  truth. 

"  I  swan  to  man!  "  exclaimed  Bailey,  almost  tear 
fully,  as  the  trio  wandered  through  the  rooms  of  the 

37 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

Cy  Whittaker  place,  dodging  paper  hangers  and 
plasterers;  "  I  swan  to  man,  Whit,  if  it  don't  almost 
seem  as  though  I  was  a  boy  again.  Why !  it's  your 
dad's  house  come  back  alive,  it  is  so !  Look  at  this 
settin'  room !  Seem's  if  I  could  see  him  now  a-settin' 
by  that  ere  stove,  and  Mrs.  Whittaker,  your  ma,  over 
there  a-sewin',  and  old  Cap'n  Cy — your  granddad 
— snoozin'  in  that  big  armchair —  Why !  why, 
Whit !  it's  the  very  image  of  the  chair  he  always  set 
in!" 

Captain  Cy  laughed  aloud. 

"It's  more  n'  that,  Bailey,"  he  said;  "it's  the 
chair.  'Twas  up  attic,  all  busted  and  crippled,  but  I 
had  it  made  over  like  new.  And  there's  granddad's 
picture,  lookin'  just  as  I  remember  him — only  he 
wan't  quite  so  much  of  a  frozen  wax  image  as  he's 
painted  there.  I'm  goin'  to  hang  it  where  it  always 
hung,  over  the  mantelpiece,  next  to  the  lookin'  glass. 

"  Great  land  of  love,  boys!  "  he  went  on,  "you 
fellers  don't  know  what  this  means  to  me.  Many 
and  many's  the  time  I've  had  this  old  house  and  this 
old  room  in  my  mind.  I've  seen  'em  aboard  ship  in 
a  howlin'  gale  off  the  Horn.  I've  seen  'em  down  in 
Surinam  of  a  hot  night,  when  there  wan't  a  breath 
scurcely  and  the  Caribs  went  around  dressed  in  a 
handkerchief  and  a  paper  cigar,  and  it  made  you  wish 
you  could.  I've  seen  'em — but  there !  every  time  I've 
seen  'em  I've  swore  that  some  day  I'd  come  back  and 
live  'em,  and  now,  by  the  big  dipper  I  here  I  am.  Oh, 

38 


"FIXIN1    OVER" 

I  tell  you,  chummies,  you  want  to  be  fired  out  of  ai 
home  and  out  of  a  town  to  appreciate  'em !  Not  that 
I  blame  the  old  man;  he  and  I  was  too  much  alike 
to  cruise  in  company.  But  Bayport  I  was  born  in, 
and  in  the  Bayport  graveyard  they  can  plant  me 
when  I'm  ready  for  the  scrap  heap.  It's  in  the  blood 
and —  Why,  see  here!  Don't  I  talk  like  a  Bay- 
porter?  " 

"You  sartin  do!"  replied  Asaph  emphatically. 
"  A  body  'd  think  you'd  been  diggin'  clams  and  pick- 
in'  cranberries  in  Bassett's  Holler  all  your  life  long, 
to  hear  you." 

"You  bet!  Well,  that's  pride;  that's  what  that 
is.  I  prided  myself  on  hangin'  to  the  Bayport  twang 
through  thick  and  thin.  Among  all  the  Spanish 
*  Carambas  '  and  '  Madre  de  Dioses  '  it  did  me  good 
to  come  out  with  a  good  old  Yankee  '  darn  '  once 
in  a  while.  Kept  me  feelin'  like  a  white  man.  Oh, 
I'm  a  Whittaker!  /  know  it.  And  I've  got  all  the 
Whittaker  pig-headedness,  I  guess.  And  because  the 
old  man — bless  his  heart,  I  say  now — told  me  I 
shouldn't  be  a  Whittaker  no  more,  nor  live  like  a 
Whittaker,  I  simply  swore  up  and  down  I  would  be 
one  and  come  back  here,  when  I'd  made  my  pile,  to 
heave  anchor  and  stay  one  till  I  die.  Maybe  that's 
foolishness,  but  it's  me." 

He  puffed  vigorously  at  the  pipe  which  had  taken 
the  place  of  the  Snowflake  cigar,  and  added: 

"  Take  this  old  settin'  room — why,  here  it  is;  see! 

39 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Here's  dad  in  his  chair  and  ma  in  hers,  and,  if  you 
go  back  far  enough,  granddad  in  his,  just  as  you  say, 
Bailey.  And  here's  rne,  a  little  shaver,  squattin'  on 
the  floor  by  the  stove,  lookin'  at  the  pictures  in  a 
heap  of  Godey's  Lady's  Book.  And  says  dad, 
'  Bos'n,'  he  says — he  used  to  call  me  '  Bos'n  '  in  those 
days — '  Bos'n,'  says  dad,  '  run  down  cellar  and  fetch 
me  up  a  pitcher  of  cider,  that's  a  good  feller.'  Yes, 
yes;  that's  this  room  as  I've  seen  it  in  my  mind  ever 
since  I  tiptoed  through  it  the  night  I  run  away,  with 
my  duds  in  a  bundle  under  my  arm.  Do  you  won 
der  I  was  fightin'  mad  when  I  saw  what  that  Howes 
tribe  had  done  to  it?  " 

Superintending  the  making  over  of  the  old  home 
occupied  most  of  Captain  Cy's  daylight  time  that 
summer.  His  evenings  were  spent  at  Simmons's 
store.  We  have  no  clubs  in  Bayport,  strictly  speak 
ing,  for  the  sewing  circle  and  the  Shakespeare  Read 
ing  Society  are  exclusively  feminine  in  membership; 
therefore  Simmons's  store  is  the  gathering  place  of 
those  males  who  are  bachelors  or  widowers  or  who 
are  sufficiently  free  from  petticoat  government  to  risk 
an  occasional  evening  out.  Asaph  Tidditt  was  a 
regular  sojourner  at  the  store.  Bailey  Bangs,  hap 
pening  in  to  purchase  fifty  cents'  worth  of  sugar  or 
to  have  the  molasses  jug  filled,  lingered  occasionally, 
but  not  often.  Captain  Cy  explained  Bailey's  ab 
sence  in  characteristic  fashion. 

"  Variety,"  observed  the  captain,  "  is  the  spice  of 
40 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

life.  Bailey  gets  talk  enough  to  home.  What's  the 
use  of  his  comin'  up  here  to  get  more?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Josiah  Dimick,  with  a 
grin,  "  we  let  him  do  some  of  the  talkin'  himself  up 
here.  Down  at  the  boardin'  house  Keturah  and 
Angie  Phinney  do  it  all." 

"  Yes.  Still,  if  a  feller  was  condemned  to  live  over 
a  biler  factory  he  wouldn't  hanker  to  get  a  job  in  it, 
would  he?  When  Bailey  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Methodist  Conference  up  in  Boston,  him  and  a  crowd 
visited  the  deef  and  dumb  asylum.  When  'twas  time 
to  go,  he  was  missin',  and  they  found  him  in  the  fe 
male  ward  lookin'  at  the  inmates.  Said  that  the  sight 
of  all  them  women,  every  one  of  'em  not  able  to  say 
a  word,  was  the  most  wonderful  thing  ever  he  laid 
eyes  on.  Said  it  made  him  feel  kind  of  reverent  and 
holy,  almost  as  if  he  was  in  Paradise.  So  Ase  Tid- 
ditt  says,  anyway;  it's  his  yarn." 

"  'Tain't  nuther,  Cy  Whittaker!  "  declared  the  in 
dignant  Asaph.  l<  If  you  expect  I'm  goin'  to  father 
all  your  lies,  you're  mistaken." 

The  crowd  at  Simmons's  discuss  politics,  as  a  gen 
eral  thing;  state  and  national  politics  in  their  seasons, 
but  county  politics  and  local  affairs  always.  The 
question  in  Bayport  that  summer,  aside  from  that  of 
the  harbor  appropriation,  was  who  should  be  hired 
as  downstairs  teacher.  Our  schoolhouse  is  a  two- 
story  building,  with  a  schoolroom  on  each  floor.  The 
lower  room,  where  the  little  tots  begin  with  their 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  C — A — T  Cat,"  and  progress  until  they  have  mas 
tered  the  Fourth  Reader,  is  called  "  downstairs." 
"  Upstairs  "  is,  of  course,  the  second  story,  where  the 
older  children  are  taught.  To  handle  some  of  the 
"  big  boys  "  upstairs  is  a  task  for  a  healthy  man, 
and  such  a  one  usually  fills  the  teacher's  position 
there.  Downstairs  being,  in  theory,  at  least,  less  stren 
uous,  is  presided  over  by  a  woman. 

Miss  Seabury,  who  had  been  downstairs  teacher 
for  one  lively  term,  had  resigned  that  spring  in  tears 
and  humiliation.  Her  scholars  had  enjoyed  them 
selves  and  would  have  liked  her  to  continue,  but  the 
committee  and  the  townspeople  thought  otherwise. 
There  was  a  general  feeling  that  enjoyment  was  not 
the  whole  aim  of  education. 

"  Betty,"  said  Captain  Dimick,  referring  to  his 
small  granddaughter,  "  has  done  fust  rate  so  fur's 
marksmanship  and  lung  trainin'  goes.  I  cal'late  she 
can  hit  a  nail  head  ten  foot  off  with  a  spitball  three 
times  out  of  four,  and  she  can  whisper  loud  enough 
to  be  understood  in  Jericho.  But,  not  wishing  to  be 
unreasonable,  still  I  should  like  to  have  her  spell 
'  door  '  without  an  '  e.'  I've  always  been  used  to 
seein'  it  spelled  that  way  and — well,  I'm  kind  of  old- 
fashioned,  anyway." 

There  was  a  difference  of  opinion  concerning 
Miss  Seabury's  successor.  A  portion  of  the  towns 
people  were  for  hiring  a  graduate  of  the  State  Nor 
mal  School,  a  young  woman  with  modern  training. 

42 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

Others,  remembering  that  Miss  Seabury  had  gradu 
ated  from  that  school,  were  for  proved  ability  and 
less  up-to-date  methods.  These  latter  had  selected  a 
candidate  in  the  person  of  a  Miss  Phoebe  Dawes,  a 
resident  of  Wellmouth,  and  teacher  of  the  Well- 
mouth  "  downstairs  "  for  some  years.  The  argu 
ments  at  Simmons's  were  hot  ones. 

"  What's  the  use  of  hirin'  somebody  from  right 
next  door  to  us,  as  you  might  say?  "  demanded  Al- 
pheus  Smalley,  clerk  at  the  store.  "  Don't  we  want 
our  teachin'  to  be  abreast  of  the  times,  and  is  WTell- 
mouth  abreast  of  anything?  " 

"  It's  abreast  of  the  bay,  that's  about  all,  I  will 
give  in,"  replied  Mr.  Tidditt.  "  But,  the  way  I  look 
at  it,  we  need  discipline  more  'n  anything  else,  and 
Phoebe  Dawes  has  had  the  best  discipline  in  her 
school,  that's  been  known  in  these  latitudes.  Order? 
Why,  say!  Eben  Salters  told  me  that  when  he 
visited  her  room  over  there  'twas  so  still  that  he 
didn't  dast  to  rub  one  shoe  against  t'other,  it  sounded 
up  so.  He  had  to  set  still  and  bear  his  chilblains  best 
he  could.  And  popular  \  Why,  when  she  hinted 
that  she  might  leave  in  May,  her  scholars  more 
'n  ha'f  of  'em,  bust  out  cryin'.  Now  you  hear 
me,  I " 

''  It  seems  to  me,"  put  in  Thaddeus  Simpson,  who 
ran  the  barber  shop  and  was  something  of  a  politi 
cian,  "  it  seems  to  me,  fellers,  that  we'd  better  wait 
and  hear  what  Mr.  Atkins  has  to  say  in  this  matter. 

43 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

I  guess  that's  what  the  committee  '11  do,  anyhow. 
We  wouldn't  want  to  go  contrary  to  Heman,  none 
of  us;  hey?" 

'  Tad  "  Simpson  was  known  to  be  deep  in  Con 
gressman  Atkins's  confidence.  The  mention  of  the 
great  man's  name  wras  received  with  reverence  and 
nods  of  approval. 

"  That's  right.  We  mustn't  do  nothin'  to  dis 
please  Heman,"  was  the  general  opinion. 

Captain  Cy  did  not  join  the  chorus.  He  refilled 
his  pipe  and  crossed  his  legs. 

"  Humph !  "  he  grunted.  "  Heman  Atkins  seems 
to  be —  Give  me  a  match,  Ase,  won't  you?  Thanks. 
I  understand  there's  a  special  prayer  meetin'  at  the 
church  to-morrow  night,  Alpheus.  What's  it  for?  " 

"  For?  "  ?\lr.  Smalley  seemed  surprised.  "  It's  to 
pray  for  rain,  that's  what.  You  know  it,  Cap'n,  as 
well's  I  do.  Ain't  everybody's  garden  dryin'  up  and 
the  ponds  so  low  that  we  shan't  be  able  to  get  water 
for  the  cranberry  ditches  pretty  soon?  There's  need 
to  pray,  I  should  think!  " 

"  Humph !  Seems  a  roundabout  way  of  gettin'  a 
thing,  don't  it?  Why  don't  you  telegraph  to  Heman 
and  ask  him  to  fix  it  for  you  ?  Save  time." 

This  remark  was  received  in  horrified  silence.  Tad 
Simpson  was  the  first  to  recover. 

"  Cap'n,"  he  said,  "  you  ain't  met  Mr.  Atkins  yet. 
When  you  do,  you'll  feel  same  as  the  rest  of  us.  He's 
comin'  home  next  week;  then  you'll  see." 

44 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

A  part  at  least  of  Mr.  Simpson's  prophecy  proved 
true.  The  Honorable  Atkins  did  come  to  Bayport 
the  following  week,  accompanied  by  his  little  daugh 
ter  Alicia,  the  housekeeper,  and  the  Atkins  servants. 
The  Honorable  and  his  daughter  had  been,  since  the 
adjournment  of  Congress,  on  a  pleasure  trip  to  the 
Yosemite  and  Yellowstone  Park,  and  now  they  were 
to  remain  in  the  mansion  on  the  hill  for  some  time. 
The  big  house  was  opened,  the  stone  urns  burst  into 
refulgent  bloom,  the  iron  dogs  were  refreshed  with 
a  coat  of  black  paint,  and  the  big  iron  gate  was  swung 
wide.  Bayport  sat  up  and  took  notice.  Angeline 
Phinney  was  in  her  glory. 

The  meeting  between  Captain  Cy  and  Mr.  Atkins 
took  place  the  morning  after  the  latter's  return.  The 
captain  and  his  two  chums  had  been  inspecting  the 
progress  made  by  the  carpenters  and  were  leaning 
over  the  new  fence,  then  just  erected,  but  not  yet 
painted.  Down  the  gravel  walk  of  the  mansion 
across  the  road  came  strolling  its  owner,  silk-hatted, 
side-whiskered,  benignant. 

"  Godfrey !  "  exclaimed  Asaph.  "  There's  Heman. 
See  him,  Whit?" 

'  Yup,  I  see  him.     Seems  to  be  headin'  this  way." 

"  I — I  do  believe  he's  comin'  across,"  whispered 
Mr.  Bangs.  "  Yes,  he  is.  He's  real  everyday,  Cy. 
Pie  won't  mind  if  you  ain't  dressed  up." 

"Won't  he?  That's  comfortin'.  Well,  I'll  do 
the  best  I  can  without  stimulants,  as  the  doctor  says. 

45 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

If  you  hear  my  knees  rattle  just  nudge  me,  will  you, 
Bailey?" 

Mr.  Tidditt  removed  his  hat.  Bailey  touched  his. 
Captain  Cy  looked  provokingly  indifferent;  he  even 
whistled. 

"  Good  mornin',  Mr.  Atkins,"  hailed  the  town 
clerk,  raising  his  voice  because  of  the  whistle.  "  I'm 
proud  to  see  you  back  among  us,  sir.  Hope  you 
and  Alicia  had  a  nice  time  out  West.  How  is  she — 
pretty  smart?  " 

Mr.  Atkins  smiled  a  bland,  congressional  smile. 
He  approached  the  group  by  the  fence  and  extended 
his  hand. 

"Ah,  Asaph!"  he  said;  "it  is  you  then?  I 
thought  so.  And  Bailey,  too.  It  is  certainly  de 
lightful  to  see  you  both  again.  Yes,  my  daughter  is 
well,  I  thank  you.  She,  like  her  father,  is  glad  to  be 
back  in  the  old  home  nest  after  the  round  of  hotel 
life  and  gayety  which  we  have — er — recently  under 
gone.  Yes." 

"  Mr.  Atkins,"  said  Bailey,  glancing  nervously  at 
Captain  Cy,  who  had  stopped  whistling  and  was  re 
garding  the  Atkins  hat  and  whiskers  with  an  in 
terested  air,  "  I  want  to  make  you  acquainted  with 
your  new  neighbor.  You  used  to  know  him  when 
you  was  a  boy,  but — but — er — Mr.  Atkins,  this  is 
Captain  Cyrus  Whittaker.  Cy,  this  is  Congressman 
Atkins.  You've  heard  us  speak  of  him." 

The  great  man  started. 
46 


•i 

o 

T3 


ffi 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

"  Is  it  possible!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Is  it  possible 
that  this  is  really  my  old  playmate  Cyrus  Whit- 
taker?  " 

"  Yup,"  replied  the  captain  calmly.  "  How  are 
you,  Heman?  Fatter'n  you  used  to  be,  ain't  you? 
Washin'ton  must  agree  with  you." 

Bailey  and  Asaph  were  scandalized.  Mr.  Atkins 
himself  seemed  a  trifle  taken  aback.  Comments  on 
his  personal  appearance  were  not  usual  in  Bayport. 
But  he  rallied  bravely. 

"Well,  well!"  he  cried.  "Cyrus,  I  am  de 
lighted  to  welcome  you  back  among  us.  I  should 
scarcely  have  known  you.  You  are  older — yes, 
much  older." 

"  Well,  forty  year  more  or  less,  added  to  what  you 
started  with,  is  apt  to  make  a  feller  some  older. 
Don't  need  any  Normal  School  graduate  to  do  that 
sum  for  us.  I'm  within  seven  or  eight  year  of  bein' 
as  old  as  you  are,  Heman,  and  that's  too  antique  to 
be  sold  for  veal." 

Mr.  Atkins  changed  the  subject. 

"  I  had  heard  of  your  return,  Cyrus,"  he  said. 
"  It  gave  me  much  pleasure  to  learn  that  you  were 
rebuilding  and — er — renovating  the — er — the  ances 
tral — er " 

'The  old  home  nest?  Yup,  I'm  puttin'  back  a 
few  feathers.  Old  birds  like  to  roost  comf'table. 
You've  got  a  fairly  roomy  coop  yourself." 

"Hum!       Isn't    it — er — I    should    suppose    you 

47 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

would  find  it  rather  expensive.  Can  you — do 
you " 

"  Yes,  I  can  afford  it,  thank  you.  Maybe  there'll 
be  enough  left  in  the  stockin'  to  buy  a  few  knick- 
knacks  for  the  yard.  You  can't  tell." 

The  captain  glanced  at  the  iron  dogs  guarding  the 
Atkins  gate.  His  tone  was  rather  sharp. 

'  Yes,  yes,  certainly;  certainly;  of  course.  It  gives 
me  much  pleasure  to  have  you  as  a  neighbor.  I  have 
always  felt  a  fondness  for  the  old  place,  even  when 
you  allowed  it — even  when  it  was  most — er — run 
down,  if  you'll  excuse  the  term.  I  always  felt  a  lik 
ing  for  it  and " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  significant  interruption.  "  I 
judged  you  must  have,  from  what  I  heard." 

This  was  steering  dangerously  close  to  the  select 
men  and  the  contemplated  "  sale  for  taxes."  The 
town  clerk  broke  in  nervously. 

"  Mr.  Atkins,"  he  said,  "  there's  been  consider'ble 
talk  in  town  about  who's  to  be  teacher  downstairs 
this  comin'  year.  We've  sort  of  chawed  it  over 
among  us,  but  naturally  we  wanted  your  opinion. 
What  do  you  think?  I'm  kind  of  leanin'  toward  the 
Dawes  woman,  myself." 

The  Congressman  cleared  his  throat. 

"  Far  be  it  from  me,11  he  said,  "  to  speak  except 
as  a  mere  member  of  our  little  community,  an  ordi 
nary  member,  but,  as  such  a  member,  with  the  welfare 
of  my  birthplace  very  near  and  dear  to  me,  I  confess 

48 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

that  I  am  inclined  to  favor  a  modern  teacher,  one 
educated  and  trained  in  the  institution  provided  for 
the  purpose  by  our  great  commonwealth.  The  Dawes 
— er — person  is  undoubtedly  worthy  and  capable  in 
her  way,  but — well — er — we  know  that  Wellmouth 
is  not  Bayport." 

The  reference  to  "  our  great  commonwealth  "  had 
been  given  in  the  voice  and  the  manner  wont  to  thrill 
us  at  our  Fourth-of-July  celebrations  and  October 
"  rallies."  Two  of  his  hearers,  at  least,  were  visibly 
impressed.  Asaph  looked  somewhat  crestfallen,  but 
he  surrendered  gracefully  to  superior  wisdom. 

"That's  so,"  he  said.  "That's  so,  ain't  it,  Cy? 
I  hadn't  thought  of  that." 

"  What's  so?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Why — why,  that  Wellmouth  ain't  Bayport." 

"  No  doubt  of  it.    They're  twenty  miles  apart." 

"  Yes.  Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  put  it  so  con 
clusive,  Mr.  Atkins.  I  can  see  now  that  Phoebe 
wouldn't  do.  Hum !  Yes." 

Mr.  Atkins  buttoned  the  frock  coat  and  turned 
to  go. 

"  Good  day,  gentlemen,"  he  said.  "  Cyrus,  per 
mit  me  once  more  to  welcome  you  heartily  to  our 
village.  We — my  daughter  and  myself — will  prob 
ably  remain  at  home  until  the  fall.  I  trust  you  will 
be  a  frequent  caller.  Run  in  on  us  at  any  time.  Pray 
do  not  stand  upon  ceremony." 

"  No,"  said  Captain  Cy  shortly,  "  I  won't." 
5  49 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  That's  right.     That's  right.     Good  morning." 

He  walked  briskly  down  the  hill.  The  trio  gazed 
after  him. 

"Well,"  sighed  Mr.  Tidditt.  "That's  settled. 
And  it's  a  comfort  to  know  'tis  settled.  Still  I  did 
kind  of  want  Phoebe  Dawes;  but  of  course  Heman 
knows  best." 

"  Course  he  knows  best !  "  snapped  Bailey.  "  Ain't 
he  the  biggest  gun  in  this  county,  pretty  nigh?  I'd 
like  to  know  who  is  if  he  ain't.  The  committee  '11 
call  the  Normal  School  girl  now,  and  a  good  thing, 
too." 

Captain  Cy  was  still  gazing  at  the  dignified  form 
of  the  "  biggest  gun  in  the  county." 

"  Let's  see,"  he  asked.  "  Who's  on  the  school 
committee?  Eben  Salters,  of  course,  and " 

"  Yes.  Eben's  chairman  and  he'll  vote  Phoebe, 
anyhow ;  he's  that  pig-headed  that  nobody — not  even 
a  United  States  Representative — could  change  him. 
But  Darius  Ellis  '11  be  for  Heman's  way  and  so  '11 
Lemuel  Myrick. 

"  Lemuel  Myrick?    Lem  Myrick,  the  painter?  " 

"  Sartin.     There  ain't  but  one  Myrick  in  town." 

"  Hum !  "  murmured  the  captain  and  was  silent 
for  some  minutes. 

The  school  committee  met  on  the  following 
Wednesday  evening.  On  Thursday  morning  a 
startling  rumor  spread  throughout  Bayport.  Phoebe 
Dawes  had  been  called,  by  a  vote  of  two  to  one,  to 

50 


"FIXIN'    OVER" 

teach  the  downstairs  school.  Asaph,  aghast,  rushed 
out  of  Simmons's  store  and  up  to  the  hill  to  the  Cy 
Whittaker  place.  He  found  Captain  Cy  in  the 
front  yard.  Mr.  Myrick,  school  committeeman  and 
house  painter,  was  with  him. 

"  Hello,  Ase!  "  hailed  the  captain.  "  What's  the 
matter?  Hasn't  the  tide  come  in  this  mornin'?  " 

Asaph,  somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  presence  of 
Mr.  Myrick,  hesitated  over  his  news.  Lemuel  came 
to  his  rescue. 

"  Ase  has  just  heard  that  we  called  Phoebe,"  he 
said.  "  What  of  it?  I  voted  for  her,  and  I  ain't 
ashamed  of  it." 

"  But— but  Mr.  Atkins,  he " 

;' Well,  Heman  ain't  on  the  committee,  is  he?  I 
vote  the  way  I  think  right,  and  no  one  in  this  town 
can  change  me.  Anyway,"  he  added,  "  I'm  going  to 
resign  next  spring.  Yes,  Cap'n  Whittaker,  I  think 
three  coats  of  white  '11  do  on  the  sides  here." 

"  Lem's  goin'  to  do  my  paintin'  jobs,"  explained 
Captain  Cy.  "  His  price  was  a  little  higher  than 
some  of  the  other  fellers,  but  I  like  his  work." 

Mr.  Tidditt  pondered  deeply  until  dinner  time. 
Then  he  cornered  the  captain  behind  the  Bangs  barn 
and  spoke  with  conviction. 

'  Whit,"  he  said,  "  you're  the  one  responsible  for 
the  committee's  hirin'  Phoebe  Dawes.  You  offered 
Lem  the  paintin'  job  if  he'd  vote  for  her.  WThat  did 
you  do  it  for?  You  don't  know  her,  do  you?  " 

51 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Never  set  eyes  on  her  in  my  life." 
'  Then — then —    You  heard  Heman  say  he  wanted 
the  other  one.     What  made  you  do  it?  " 

Captain  Cy  grinned. 

"  Ase,"  he  said,  "  I've  always  been  a  great  hand 
for  tryin'  experiments.  Had  one  of  my  cooks  aboard 
put  raisins  in  the  flapjacks  once,  just  to  see  what  they 
tasted  like.  I  judged  Heman  had  had  his  own  way 
in  this  town  for  thirty  odd  year.  I  kind  of  wanted 
to  see  what  would  happen  if  he  didn't  have  it." 


CHAPTER    IV 

BAILEY   BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

EMUEL  MYRICK'S  painting  jobs  have  the 
quality  so  prized  by  our  village  small  boys  in 
the  species  of  candy  called  "  jaw  breakers," 
namely,  that  of  "  lasting  long."  But  even  Lem  must 
finish  sometime  or  other  and,  late  in  July,  the  Cy 
Whittaker  place  was  ready  for  occupancy.  The  pic 
tures  were  in  their  places  on  the  walls,  the  old-fash 
ioned  furniture  filled  the  rooms,  there  was  even  a  pile 
of  old  magazines,  back  numbers  of  Godey's  Lady's 
Book,  on  the  shelf  in  the  sitting  room  closet. 

Then,  when  Captain  Cy  had  notified  Mrs.  Bangs 
that  the  perfect  boarding  house  would  shelter  him  no 
longer  than  the  coming  week,  a  new  problem  arose. 

"  Whit,"  said  Asaph  earnestly,  "  you've  sartin 
made  the  place  rise  up  out  of  its  tomb;  you  have  so. 
It's  a  miracle,  pretty  nigh,  and  I  cal'late  it  must  have 
cost  a  heap,  but  you've  done  it — all  but  the  old  folks 
themselves.  You  can't  raise  them  up,  Cy;  money 
won't  do  that.  And  you  can't  live  in  this  great  house 
all  alone.  Who's  goin'  to  cook  for  you,  and  sweep 
and  dust,  and  swab  decks,  and  one  thing  a'nother? 

53 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

You'll  have  to  have  a  housekeeper,  as  I  told  you 
a  spell  ago.  Have  you  done  any  thinkin'  about 
that?" 

And  the  captain,  taking  his  pipe  from  his  lips, 
stared  blankly  at  his  friend,  and  answered: 

"  By  the  big  dipper,  Ase,  I  ain't !  I  remember  we 
did  mention  it,  but  I've  been  so  busy  gettin'  this  craft 
off  the  ways  that  I  forgot  all  about  it." 

The  discussion  which  followed  Mr.  Tidditt's  re 
minder  was  long  and  serious.  Asaph  and  Bailey 
Bangs  racked  their  brains  and  offered  numerous  sug 
gestions,  but  the  majority  of  these  were  not  favorably 
received. 

"  There's  Matildy  Tripp,"  said  Bailey.  "  She'd 
like  the  job,  I'm  sartin.  She's  a  widow,  too,  and  she's 
had  experience  keepin'  house  along  of  Tobias,  him 
that  was  her  husband.  But,  if  you  do  hire  her,  don't 
let  Ketury  know  I  hinted  at  it,  'cause  we're  goin'  to 
lose  one  boarder  when  you  quit,  and  that's  too  many, 
'cordin'  to  the  old  lady's  way  of  thinkin'." 

"  You  can  keep  Matildy,  for  all  me,"  replied 
the  captain  decidedly.  "  Come-Outer  religion's  all 
right,  for  those  that  have  that  kind  of  appetite,  but 
havin'  it  passed  to  me  three  times  a  day,  same  as 
I've  had  it  at  your  house,  is  enough;  I  don't  hanker 
to  have  it  warmed  over  between  meals.  If  I  shipped 
Matildy  aboard  here  she  and  the  Reverend  Daniels 
would  stand  over  me,  watch  and  watch,  till  I  was 
converted  or  crazy,  one  or  the  other." 

54 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

"  Well,  there's  Angle.    She " 


"  Angle !  "  sniffed  Mr.  Tidditt.  ;'  Stop  your  jok- 
in',  Bailey.  This  is  a  serious  matter." 

"  I  wan't  jokin'.     What " 

"There!  there!  boys,"  interrupted  the  captain; 
"  don't  fight.  Bailey  didn't  mean  to  joke,  Ase;  he's 
full  of  what  the  papers  call '  unconscious  humor.'  I'll 
give  in  that  Angie  is  about  as  serious  a  matter  as  I 
can  think  of  without  'settin'  down  to  rest.  Humph ! 
so  fur  we  haven't  gained  any  knots  to  speak  of.  Any 
more  candidates  on  your  mind?  " 

More  possibilities  were  mentioned,  but  none  of 
them  seemed  to  fill  the  bill.  The  conference  broke  up 
without  arriving  at  a  decision.  Mr.  Bangs  and  the 
town  clerk  walked  down  the  hill  together. 

;'  Do  you  know,  Bailey,"  said  Asaph,  "  the  way 
I  look  at  it,  this  pickin'  out  a  housekeeper  for  Whit 
ain't  any  common  job.  It's  somethin'  to  think  over. 
Cy's  a  restless  critter;  been  cruisin'  hither  and  yon 
all  his  life.  I'm  sort  of  scared  that  he'll  get  tired  of 
Bayport  and  quit  if  things  here  don't  go  to  suit 
him.  Now  if  a  real  good  nice  woman — a  nice- 
lookin'  woman,  say — was  to  keep  house  for  him 
it—it " 

"Well?" 

'  Well,  I  mean — that  is,  don't  you  s'pose  if  some 
such  woman  as  that  was  to  be  found  for  the  job  he 
might  in  time  come  to  like  her  and — and — er " 

"  Ase  Tidditt,  what  are  you  drivin'  at?  " 

55 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Why,  I  mean  he  might  come  to  marry  her ;  there ! 
Then  he'd  be  contented  to  settle  down  to  home  and 
stay  put.  What  do  you  think  of  the  idea?  " 

'  Think  of  it?  I  think  it's  the  dumdest  foolishness 
ever  I  heard.  I  declare  if  the  very  mention  of  a 
woman  to  some  of  you  old  baches  don't  make  your 
heads  soften  up  like  a  jellyfish  in  the  sun !  Ain't  Cy 
Whittaker  got  money?  Ain't  he  got  a  nice  home? 
Ain't  he  happy?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  now,  I  s'pose,  but 

"  Well,  then  !  And  you  want  him  to  get  married  ! 
What  do  you  know  about  marryin'  ?  Never  tried  it. 
have  you  ?  " 

"  Course  I  ain't!     You  know  I  ain't." 

"  All  right.  Then  I'd  keep  quiet  about  such 
things,  if  I  was  you." 

"  You  needn't  fly  up  like  a  settin'  hen.  Every 
body's  wife  ain't " 

He  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  sentence. 

"What's  that?"  demanded  his  companion, 
sharply. 

"Nothin';  nothin'.  /  don't  care;  I  was  only  try- 
in'  to  fix  things  comf'table  for  Whit.  Has  Heman 
said  anything  about  the  harbor  appropriation  sence 
he's  been  home?  I  haven't  heard  of  it  if  he 
has." 

Mr.  Bangs's  answer  was  a  grunt,  signifying  a  nega 
tive.  Congressman  Atkins  had  been,  since  his  return 
to  Bayport,  exceedingly  noncommittal  concerning  the 

56 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

appropriation.  To  Tad  Simpson  and  d  very  few 
chosen  lieutenants  and  intimates  he  had  said  that  he 
hoped  to  get  it;  that  was  all.  This  was  a  disquieting 
change  of  attitude,  for,  at  the  beginning  of  the  term 
just  passed,  he  had  affirmed  that  he  was  going  to  get 
it.  However,  as  Mr.  Simpson  reassuringly  said: 
'  The  job's  in  as  good  hands  as  can  be,  so  what's  the 
use  of  our  worryin'  ?  " 

Bailey  Bangs  certainly  was  not  troubled  on  that 
score;  but  the  town  clerk's  proposal  that  Captain  Cy 
be  provided  with  a  suitable  wife  did  worry  him. 
Bailey  was  so  very  much  married  himself  and  had 
such  decided,  though  unspoken,  views  concerning 
matrimony  that  such  a  proposal  seemed  to  him  lu 
nacy,  pure  and  simple.  He  had  liked  and  admired 
his  friend  "  Whit  "  in  the  old  days,  when  the  latter 
led  them  into  all  sorts  of  boyish  scrapes;  now  he  re 
garded  him  with  a  liking  that  was  close  to  worship. 
The  captain  was  so  jolly  and  outspoken;  so  brave  and 
independent — witness  his  crossing  of  the  great  At 
kins  in  the  matter  of  the  downstairs  teacher.  That 
was  a  reckless  piece  of  folly  which  would,  doubtless, 
be  rewarded  after  its  kind,  but  Bailey,  though  he 
professed  to  condemn  it,  secretly  wished  he  had  the 
pluck  to  dare  such  things.  As  it  was,  he  didn't  dare 
contradict  Keturah. 

With  the  exception  of  one  voyage  as  cabin  boy  to 
New  Orleans,  a  voyage  which  convinced  him  that 
he  was  not  meant  for  a  seaman,  Mr.  Bangs  had  never 

57 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

been  farther  from  his  native  village  than  Boston. 
Captain  Cy  had  been  almost  everywhere  and  seen 
almost  everything.  He  could  spin  yarns  that  beat  the 
serial  stories  in  the  patent  inside  of  the  Bayport 
Breeze  all  hollow.  Bailey  had  figured  that,  when  the 
"  fixin'  over "  was  ended,  the  Cy  Whittaker  place 
would  be  for  him  a  delightful  haven  of  refuge,  where 
he  could  put  his  boots  on  the  furniture,  smoke  until 
dizzy  without  being  pounced  upon,  be  entertained  and 
thrilled  with  tales  of  adventure  afloat  and  ashore, 
and  even  express  his  own  opinion,  when  he  had  any, 
with  the  voice  and  lung  power  of  a  free-born  Ameri 
can  citizen. 

And  now  Asaph  Tidditt,  who  should  know  better, 
even  though  he  was  a  bachelor,  wanted  to  bring  a 
wife  into  this  paradise;  not  a  paid  domestic  who 
could  be  silenced,  or  discharged,  if  she  became  a  nui 
sance,  but  a  wife  \  Bailey  guessed  not;  not  if  he  could 
prevent  it. 

So  he  lay  awake  nights  thinking  of  possible  house 
keepers  for  Captain  Cy,  and  carefully  rejecting  all 
those  possessing  dangerous  attractions  of  any  kind. 
Each  morning,  after  breakfast,  he  ran  over  the  list 
with  the  captain,  taking  care  that  Asaph  was  not 
present.  Captain  Cy,  who  was  very  busy  with  the 
finishing  touches  at  the  new  old  house,  wearied  on  the 
third  morning. 

"  There,  there,  Bailey  1  "  he  said.  "  Don't  bother 
me  now.  I've  got  other  things  on  my  mind.  How 

58 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

do  I  know  who   all  these  women  folks  are  you're 
stringing  off  to  me?    Let  me  alone,  do." 

"  But  you  must  have  a  housekeeper,  Cy.  You'll 
move  in  Monday  and  you  won't  have  nobody  to " 

"  Oh,  dry  up !  I  want  to  think  who  I  must  see 
this  morning.  There's  Lem  and  old  lady  Penniman, 
and " 

"  But  the  housekeeper,  Cy !     Don't  you  see " 

"  Hire  one  yourself,  then.  You  know  'em ;  I 
don't." 

"Hey?  Hire  one  myself?  Do  you  mean  you'll 
leave  it  in  my  hands?  " 

'  Yes,  yes !  I  guess  so.  Run  along,  that's  a  good 
feller." 

He  departed  hurriedly.  Mr.  Bangs  scratched  his 
head.  A  weighty  responsibility  had  been  laid  upon 
him. 

Monday  morning  after  breakfast  Captain  Cy's 
trunk  was  put  aboard  the  depot  wagon,  and  Dan'l 
Webster  drew  it  to  its  owner's  home.  The  farewells 
at  the  perfect  boarding  house  were  affecting.  Mrs. 
Tripp  said  that  she  had  spoken  to  the  Reverend  Mr. 
Daniels,  and  he  would  be  sure  to  call  the  very  first 
thing.  Keturah  affirmed  that  the  captain's  stay  had 
been  a  real  pleasure. 

*  You  never  find  fault,  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she 
said.  '  You're  such  a  manly  man,  if  you'll  excuse 
my  sayin'  so.  I  only  wish  there  was  more  like  you," 
with  a  significant  glance  at  her  husband.  As  for  Miss 

59 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Phinney,  she  might  have  been  saying  good-by  yet  if 
the  captain  had  not  excused  himself. 

Asaph  accompanied  his  friend  to  the  house  on  the 
hill.  The  trunk  was  unloaded  from  the  wagon  and 
carried  into  the  bedroom  on  the  first  floor,  the  room 
which  had  been  Captain  Cy's  so  long  ago.  Gabe 
shrieked  at  Dan'l  Webster,  and  the  depot  wagon 
crawled  away  toward  the  upper  road. 

"  Got  to  meet  the  up  train,"  grumbled  the  driver. 
"  Not  that  anybody  ever  comes  on  it,  but  I  cal'late 
I'm  s'posed  to  be  there.  Be  more  talk  than  a  little 
if  I  wan't.  Git  dap,  Dan'l!  you're  slower'n  the 
moral  law." 

"  So  you're  goin'  to  do  your  own  cookin'  for  a 
spell,  Cy?"  observed  Asaph,  a  half  hour  later. 
"  Well,  I  guess  that's  a  good  idea,  till  you  can  find 
the  right  housekeeper.  I  ain't  been  able  to  think  of 
one  that  would  suit  you  yet." 

"  Nor  I,  either.  Neither's  Bailey,  I  judge,  though 
for  a  while  he  was  as  full  of  suggestions  as  a  pine 
grove  is  of  woodticks.  He  started  to  say  somethin' 
about  it  to  me  last  night,  but  Ketury  hove  in  sight 
and  yanked  him  off  to  prayer  meetin'." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  She  cal'lates  to  get  him  into 
heaven  somehow." 

"  I  guess  'twouldn't  be  heaven  for  her  unless  he 
was  round  to  pick  at.  There  he  comes  now.  How'd 
he  get  out  of  wipin'  dishes?" 

Mr.  Bangs  strolled  into  the  yard. 
60 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

"  Hello!  "  he  hailed.  "  I  was  on  my  way  to  Sim- 
mons's  on  an  errand  and  I  thought  I'd  stop  in  a  min 
ute.  Got  somethin'  to  tell  you,  Whit." 

"All  right.  Overboard  with  it!  It  won't  keep 
long  this  hot  weather." 

Bailey  smiled  knowingly.  "  Didn't  I  hear  the  up 
train  whistle  as  I  was  comin'  along?  "  he  asked. 
"  Seems  to  me  I  did.  Yes;  well,  if  I  ain't  mistaken 
somebody's  comin'  on  that  train.  Somebody  for  you, 
Cy  Whittaker." 

"  Somebody  for  met  " 

"  Um — hum !  I  can  gen'rally  be  depended  on,  I 
cal'late,  and  when  you  says  to  me :  '  Bailey,  you  get 
me  a  housekeeper,'  I  didn't  lose  much  time.  I  got 
her." 

Mr.  Tidditt  gasped. 

"Go/  her?"  he  repeated.  "Got  who?  Got 
what?  Bailey  Bangs,  what  in  the  world  have " 

"  Belay,  Ase !  "  ordered  Captain  Cy.  "  Bailey, 
what  are  you  givin'  us  ?  " 

"  Givin'  you  a  housekeeper,  and  a  good  one,  too, 
I  shouldn't  wonder.  She  may  not  be  one  of  them 
ten-thousand-dollar  prize  museum  beauties,"  with  a 
scornful  wink  at  Asaph,  "  but  if  what  I  hear's  true 
she  can  keep  house.  Anyhow  she's  kept  one  for  forty 
odd  year.  Her  name's  Deborah  Beasley,  she's  a 
widow  over  to  East  Trumet,  and  if  I  don't  miss  my 
guess,  she's  in  the  depot  wagon  now  headed  in  this 
direction." 

61 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Captain  Cy  whistled.  Mr.  Tidditt  was  too  much 
surprised  to  do  even  that. 

"  I  was  speakin'  to  the  feller  that  drives  the  candy 
cart,"  continued  Bailey,  "  and  I  asked  him  if  he'd  run 
acrost  anybody,  durin'  his  trips  'round  the  country, 
who'd  be  likely  to  hire  out  for  a  housekeeper.  He 
thought  a  spell  and  then  named  over  some.  Among 
'em  was  this  Beasley  one.  I  asked  some  more  ques 
tions  and,  the  answers  bein'  satisfactory  to  me,  though 
they  might  not  be  to  some  folks — "  another  derisive 
wink  at  Asaph — "  I  set  down  and  wrote  her,  tellin' 
what  you'd  pay,  Cy,  what  she'd  have  to  do,  and  when 
she'd  have  to  come.  Saturday  night  I  got  a  letter, 
sayin'  terms  was  all  right,  and  she'd  be  on  hand  by 
this  mornin's  train.  Course  she's  only  on  trial  for  a 
month,  but  you  had  to  have  somebody,  and  the  candy- 
cart  feller  said " 

The  town  clerk  slapped  his  knee. 

"  Debby  Beasley!  "  he  cried.  "  I  know  who  she 
is!  I've  got  a  cousin  in  Trumet.  Debby  Beasley! 
Aunt  Debby,  they  call  her.  Why!  she's  old  enough 
to  be  Methusalem's  grandmarm,  and " 

"  If  I  recollect  right,"  interrupted  Bailey,  with 
dignity,  "  Cy  never  said  he  wanted  a  young  woman 
— a  frivolous,  giddy  critter,  always  riggin'  up  and 
chasin'  the  fellers.  He  wanted  a  sot,  sober  house 
keeper." 

"Godfrey!  Aunt  Debby  ain't  frivolous!  She 
couldn't  chase  a  lame  clam — and  catch  it.  And  deef  \ 

62 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

Godfrey — scissors!  she's  deefer  'n  one  of  them  cast- 
iron  Newfoundlands  in  Heman's  yard  I  Do  you 
mean  to  say,  Bailey  Bangs,  that  you  went  ahead,  on 
your  own  hook,  and  hired  that  old  relic  to " 

"  I  did.  And  I  had  my  authority,  didn't  I,  Whit? 
You  told  me  you'd  leave  it  in  my  hands,  now  didn't 
you?" 

The  captain  smiled  somewhat  ruefully,  and 
scratched  his  head.  "  Why,  to  be  honest,  Bailey,  I 
believe  I  did,"  he  admitted.  "  Still,  I  hardly  ex 
pected  —  Humph!  is  she  deef,  as  Ase  says?  " 

"  I  understand  she's  a  little  mite  hard  of  hearin'," 
replied  Mr.  Bangs,  with  dignity;  "  but  that  ain't  any 
drawback,  the  way  I  look  at  it.  Fact  is,  I'd  call  it 
an  advantage,  but  you  folks  seem  to  be  hard  to  please. 
I  ruther  imagined  you'd  thank  me  for  gettin'  her,  but 
I  s'pose  that  was  too  much  to  expect.  All  right,  pitch 
her  out !  Don't  mind  my  feelin's !  Poor  homeless 
critter  comin'  to " 

"Homeless!"  repeated  Asaph.  "What's  that 
got  to  do  with  it?  Cy  ain't  runnin'  the  Old  Woman's 
Home." 

'Well,  well!"  observed  the  captain  resignedly. 
'  There's  no  use  in  rowin'  about  what  can't  be  helped. 
Bailey  says  he  shipped  her  for  a  month's  trial,  and 
here  comes  the  depot  wagon  now.  That's  her  on  the 
aft  thwart,  I  judge.  She  ain't  what  you'd  call  a 
spring  pullet,  is  she !  " 

She  certainly  was  not.    The  occupant  of  the  depot 

63 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

wagon's  rear  seat  was  a  thin,  not  to  say  scraggy,  fe 
male,  wearing  a  black,  beflowered  bonnet  and  a  black 
gown.  A  black  knit  shawl  was  draped  about  her 
shoulders  and  she  wore  spectacles. 

"  Whoa !  "  commanded  Mr.  Lumley,  piloting  the 
depot  wagon  to  the  side  door  of  the  Whittaker  house. 
Dan'l  Webster  came  to  anchor  immediately.  Gabe 
turned  and  addressed  his  passenger. 

"  Here  we  be!  "  he  shouted. 

"  Hey?  "  observed  the  lady  in  black. 

"  Here — we — be  !  "  repeated  Gabe,  raising  his 
voice. 

"See?     See  what?" 

"Oh,  heavens  to  Betsey!  I'm  gettin'  the  croup 
from  howlin'.  I — say — here — we — be!  Get  out!  " 

He  accompanied  the  final  bellow  with  an  express 
ive  pantomime  indicating  that  the  passenger  was  ex 
pected  to  alight.  She  seemed  to  understand,  for  she 
opened  the  door  of  the  carriage  and  slowly  de 
scended.  Mr.  Bangs  advanced  to  meet  her. 

"  How  d'ye  do,  Mrs.  Beasley !  "  he  said.  "  Glad 
to  see  you  all  safe  and  sound." 

Mrs.  Beasley  shook  his  hand;  hers  were  covered, 
as  far  as  the  knuckles,  by  black  mitts. 

"How  d'ye  do,  Cap'n  Whittaker?"  she  said,  in 
a  shrill  voice.  "  You  pretty  smart?  " 

Bailey  hastened  to  explain. 

"  I  ain't  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  he  roared.  "  I'm 
Bailey  Bangs,  the  one  that  wrote  to  you." 

64 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

"Hey?" 

Mr.  Lumley  and  Asaph  chuckled.  Bailey  colored 
and  tried  again. 

"  I  ain't  the  cap'n,"  he  whooped.  "  Here  he  is — 
here!" 

He  led  her  over  to  her  prospective  employer  and 
tapped  the  latter  on  the  chest. 

"  How  d'ye  do,  sir?  "  said  the  housekeeper.  ;'  I 
don't  know's  I  just  caught  your  name." 

In  five  minutes  or  so  the  situation  was  made  rea 
sonably  clear.  Mrs.  Beasley  then  demanded  her 
trunk  and  carpet  bag.  The  grinning  Lumley  bore 
them  into  the  house.  Then  he  drove  away,  still  grin 
ning.  Bailey  looked  fearfully  at  Captain  Cy. 

"  She  is  kind  of  hard  of  hearin',  ain't  she?  "  he 
said  reluctantly.  "  You  remember  I  said  she  was." 

The  captain  nodded. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  you're  a  truth-tellin'  chap, 
Bailey,  I'll  say  that  for  you.  You  don't  exaggerate 
your  statements." 

"  Hard  of  hearin'!  "  snapped  Mr.  Tidditt.  "  If 
the  last  trump  ain't  a  steam  whistle  she'll  miss  Judg 
ment  Day.  I'll  stop  into  Simmons's  on  my  way  along 
and  buy  you  a  bottle  of  throat  balsam,  Cy;  you're 
goin'  to  need  it." 

The  captain  needed  more  than  throat  balsam  dur 
ing  the  fortnight  which  followed.  The  widow  Beas- 
ley's  deafness  was  not  her  only  failing.  In  fact  she 
was  altogether  a  failure,  so  far  as  her  housekeeping 

6  65 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

was  concerned.  She  could  cook,  after  a  fashion,  but 
the  fashion  was  so  limited  that  even  the  bill  of  fare 
at  the  perfect  boarding  house  looked  tempting  in 
retrospect. 

"  Baked  beans  again,  Cy !  "  exclaimed  Asaph, 
dropping  in  one  evening  after  supper.  'Tain't 
Saturday  night  so  soon,  is  it?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  dismal  rejoinder.  "  It's  Tuesday, 
if  my  almanac  ain't  out  of  joint.  But  we  had  beans 
Saturday  and  they  ain't  all  gone  yet,  so  I  presume 
we'll  have  'em  till  the  last  one's  swallowed.  Aunt 
Debby's  got  what  the  piece  in  the  Reader  used  to 
call  a  '  frugal  mind.'  She  don't  intend  to  waste  any 
thing.  Last  Thursday  I  spunked  up  courage  enough 
to  yell  for  salt  fish  and  potatoes — fixed  up  with  pork 
scraps,  you  know,  same's  we  used  to  have  when  I 
was  a  boy.  We  had  'em  all  right,  and  if  beans  of  a 
Saturday  hadn't  been  part  of  her  religion  we'd  be 
warmin'  'em  up  yet.  I  took  in  a  cat  for  company 
'tother  day,  but  the  critter's  run  away.  To  see  it  look 
at  the  beans  in  its  saucer  and  then  at  me  was  pitiful; 
1  felt  like  handin'  myself  over  to  the  Cruelty  to  Ani 
mals'  folks." 

"  Is  she  neat?  "  inquired  Mr.  Tidditt. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  guess  so — on  the  installment 
plan.  It  takes  her  a  week  to  scrub  up  the  kitchen,  and 
then  one  end  of  it  is  so  dirty  she  has  to  begin  again. 
Consequently  the  dust  is  so  thick  in  the  rest  of  the 
house  that  I  can  see  my  tracks.  If  'twan't  so  late  in 

66 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

the  season  I'd  plant  garden  stuff  in  the  parlor — nice 
soil  and  lots  of  shade,  with  the  curtains  down." 

From  the  rooms  in  the  rear  came  the  words  of  a 
gospel  hymn  sung  in  a  tremulous  soprano  and  at  con 
cert  pitch. 

"  Music  with  my  meals,  just  like  a  high-toned  res 
taurant,"  commented  Captain  Cy. 

"  But  what  makes  her  sing  so  everlastin'  loud!  " 

"  Can't  hear  herself  if  she  don't.  I  could  stand 
her  deefness,  because  that's  an  affliction  and  we  may 
all  come  to  it;  but " 

The  housekeeper,  still  singing,  entered  the  room 
and  planted  herself  in  a  chair. 

"  Good  evenin',  Mr.  Tidditt,"  she  said,  smiling 
genially.  "  Nice  weather  we've  been  havin'." 

Asaph  nodded. 

"  Sociable  critter,  ain't  she!  "  observed  the  captain. 
"  Always  willin'  to  help  entertain.  Comes  and  sets 
up  with  me  till  bedtime.  Tells  about  her  family 
troubles.  Preaches  about  her  niece  out  West,  and 
how  set  the  niece  and  the  rest  of  the  Western  rela 
tions  are  to  have  her  make  'em  a  visit.  I  told  her 
she  better  go — I  thought  'twould  do  her  good.  I 
know  'twould  help  me  consider'ble  to  see  her  start. 

"  She's  got  so  now  she  finds  fault  with  my  neck 
ties,"  he  added,  "  says  I  must  be  careful  and  not  get 
my  feet  wet.  Picks  out  what  I  ought  to  wear  so's 
1  won't  get  cold.  She'll  adopt  me  pretty  soon.  Oh, 
it's  all  right!  She  can't  hear  what  you  say.  Are 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

your  dishes  done?"  he  shrieked,  turning  to  the  old 
lady. 

"One?      One    what?"    inquired    Mrs.    Beasley. 

"  They  won't  be  done  till  you  go,  Ase,"  continued 
the  master  of  the  house.  "  She'll  stay  with  us  till 
the  last  gun  fires.  T'other  day  Angle  Phinney 
called  and  I  turned  Debby  loose  on  her.  I  didn't 
believe  anything  could  wear  out  Angie's  talkin'  ma 
chinery,  but  she  did  it.  Angeline  stayed  twenty  min 
utes  and  then  quit,  hoarse  as  a  crow." 

Here  the  widow  joined  in  the  conversation,  evi 
dently  under  the  impression  that  nothing  had  been 
said  since  she  last  spoke.  Continuing  her  favorable 
comments  on  the  weather  she  observed  that  she  was 
glad  there  was  so  little  fog,  because  fog  was  hard  for 
folks  with  "  neuralgy  pains."  Her  brother's  wife's 
cousin  had  "  neuralgy  "  for  years,  and  she  described 
his  sufferings  with  enthusiasm  and  infinite  detail. 
Mr.  Tidditt  answered  her  questions  verbally  at  first; 
later  by  nods  and  shakes  of  the  head.  Captain  Cy 
fidgeted  in  his  chair. 

"  Come  on  outdoor,  Ase,"  he  said  at  last.  "  No 
use  to  wait  till  she  runs  down,  'cause  she's  a  self- 
winder,  guaranteed  to  keep  goin'  for  a  year.  Good 
night  !  "  he  shouted,  addressing  Mrs.  Beasley,  and 
heading  for  the  door. 

"  Where  you  goin'?  "  asked  the  old  lady. 

"No.  Yes.  Who  said  so?  Hooray!  Three 
cheers  for  Gen'ral  Scott !  Come  on,  Ase  I  "  And 

68 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

the  captain,  seizing  his  friend  by  the  arm,  dragged 
him  into  the  open  air,  and  slammed  the  door. 

"  Are  you  crazy?  "  demanded  the  astonished  town 
clerk.  "  What  makes  you  talk  like  that?  " 

"  Might  as  well.  She  wouldn't  understand  it  any 
better  if  'twas  Scripture,  and  it  saves  brain  work. 
The  only  satisfaction  I  get  is  bein'  able  to  give  my 
opinion  of  her  and  the  grub  without  hurtin'  her  feel- 
in's.  If  I  called  her  a  wooden-headed  jumpin'  jack 
she'd  only  smile  and  say  No,  she  didn't  think  'twas 
goin'  to  rain,  or  somethin'  just  as  brilliant." 

'  Well,  why  don't  you  give  her  her  walkin' 
papers?  " 

"  I  shall,  when  her  month's  up." 

"  I  wouldn't  wait  no  month.  I'd  heave  her  over 
board  to-night.  You  hear  mel  " 

Captain  Cy  shook  his  head. 

"  I  can't,  very  well,"  he  replied.  "  I  hate  to  make 
her  feel  too  bad.  When  the  month's  over  I'll  have 
some  excuse  ready,  maybe.  The  joke  of  it  is  that  she 
don't  really  need  to  work  out.  She's  got  some  money 
of  her  own,  owns  cranberry  swamps  and  I  don't  know 
what  all.  Says  she  took  up  Bailey's  offer  'cause  she 
cal'lated  I'd  be  company  for  her.  I  had  to  laugh, 
even  in  the  face  of  those  beans,  when  she  said  that." 

"  Humph !  if  I  don't  tell  Bailey  what  I  think  of 
him,  then " 

"  No,  no !  Don't  you  say  a  word  to  Bailey.  It's 
principally  on  his  account  that  I'm  tryin'  to  stick  it 

69 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

out  for  the  month.  Bailey  did  his  best;  he  thought 
he  was  helpin'.  And  he  feels  dreadfully  because  she's 
so  deef.  Only  yesterday  he  asked  me  if  I  believed 
there  was  anything  made  that  would  fix  her  up  and 
make  it  more  comfortable  for  me.  I  could  have  pre 
scribed  a  shotgun,  but  I  didn't.  You  see,  he  thinks 
her  deefness  is  the  only  trouble;  I  haven't  told  him  the 
rest,  and  don't  you  do  it,  either.  Bailey's  a  good- 
hearted  chap." 

"  Humph !  his  heart  may  be  good,  but  his  head's 
goin'  to  seed.  I'll  keep  quiet  if  'twill  please  you, 
though." 

"Yes.  And,  see  here,  Ase!  I  don't  care  to  be 
the  laughin'  stock  of  Bayport.  If  any  of  the  folks 
ask  you  how  I  like  my  new  housekeeper,  you  tell  'em 
there's  nothin'  like  her  anywhere.  That's  no  lie." 

So  Mrs.  Beasley  stayed  on  at  the  Whittaker  place 
and,  thanks  to  Mr.  Tidditt,  the  general  opinion  of  in 
quisitive  Bayport  was  that  the  new  housekeeper  was 
a  grand  success.  Only  Captain  Cy  and  Asaph  knew 
the  whole  truth,  and  Mr.  Bangs  a  part.  That  part, 
Deborah's  deafness,  troubled  him  not  a  little  and  he 
thought  much  concerning  it.  As  a  result  of  this 
thinking  he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  relative  in  Boston. 
The  answer  to  this  letter  pleased  him  and  he  wrote 
again. 

One  afternoon,  during  the  third  week  of  Mrs. 
Beasley's  stay,  Asaph  called  and  found  Captain  Cy 
in  the  sitting  room,  reading  the  Breeze.  The  captain 

70 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

urged  his  friend  to  remain  and  have  supper.  "  We've 
run  out  of  beans,  Ase,"  he  explained,  "  and  are  just 
startin'  in  on  a  course  of  boiled  cod.  Do  stay  and 
eat  a  lot;  then  there  won't  be  so  much  to  warm  over." 

Mr.  Tidditt  accepted  the  invitation,  also  a  section 
of  the  Breeze.  While  they  were  reading  they  heard 
the  back  door  slam. 

"  It's  the  graven  image,"  explained  the  captain. 
"  She's  been  on  a  cruise  down  town  somewheres.  Be 
a  lot  of  sore  throats  in  that  direction  to-morrow 
mornin'." 

The  town  clerk  looked  up. 

"  There  now !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  believe  'twas 
her  I  saw  walkin'  with  Bailey  a  spell  ago.  I  thought 
so,  but  I  didn't  have  my  specs  and  I  wan't  sure." 

"With  Bailey,  hey?  Humph!  this  is  serious. 
Hope  Ketury  didn't  see  'em.  We  mustn't  have  any 
scandal." 

The  housekeeper  entered  the  dining  room.  She 
was  singing  "  Beulah  Land,"  but  her  tone  was  more 
subdued  than  usual.  They  heard  her  setting  the  table. 

"  How's  she  gettin'  along?  "  asked  Asaph. 

"  Progressin'  backwards,  same  as  ever.  She's  no 
better,  thank  you,  and  the  doctor's  given  up  hopes." 

'  When  you  goin'  to  tell  her  she  can  clear  out?  " 

'  What?  "  Captain  Cy  had  returned  to  his  paper 
and  did  not  hear  the  question. 

"  I  say  when  is  she  goin'  to  be  bounced?  Deef- 
ness  ain't  catchin',  is  it?  " 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  it  might  be.  If  'tis,  mine 
ought  to  be  developin'  fast.  What  makes  her  so  still 
all  at  once?  " 

"  Gone  to  the  kitchen,  I  guess.  Wonder  she  hasn't 
sailed  in  and  set  down  with  us.  Old  chromo !  You 
must  be  glad  her  month's  most  up?  " 

Asaph  proceeded  to  give  his  opinion  of  the  house 
keeper,  raising  his  voice  almost  to  a  howl,  as  his  in 
dignation  grew.  If  Mrs.  Beasley's  ears  had  been  or 
dinary  ones  she  might  have  heard  the  unflattering 
description  in  the  kitchen;  as  it  was  Mr.  Tidditt  felt 
no  fear. 

"  Comin'  here  so's  you  could  be  company  for  her! 
The  idea !  Good  to  herself,  ain't  she !  Godfrey 
scissors !  And  Bailey  was  fool  enough  to " 

"  There,  there !  Don't  let  it  worry  you,  Ase.  I've 
about  decided  what  to  say  when  I  let  her  go.  I'll  tell 
her  she  is  gettin'  too  old  to  be  slavin'  herself  to  death. 
You  see,  I  don't  want  to  make  the  old  critter  cry,  nor 
I  don't  want  her  to  get  mad.  Judgin'  by  the  way  she 
used  to  coax  the  cat  outdoors  with  the  broom  handle 
she's  got  somethin'  of  a  temper  when  she  gets  started. 
I'll  give  her  an  extry  month's  wages,  and " 

"You  will,  hey?    You*^//?" 

The  interruption  came  from  behind  the  partially 
closed  dining-room  door.  Mr.  Tidditt  sank  back  in 
his  chair.  Captain  Cy  sprang  from  his  and  threw 
the  door  wide  open.  Behind  it  crouched  Mrs.  Deb 
orah  Beasley.  Her  eyes  snapped  behind  her  specta- 

72 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

cles,  her  lean  form  was  trembling  all  over,  and  in  her 
right  hand  she  held  a  mammoth  trumpet,  the  smaller 
end  of  which  was  connected  with  her  ear. 


«' «  Well,  I  don't  want  none  of  your  miser' ble  money!' 

'You  will,  hey?  "  she  screamed,  brandishing  her 
left  fist,  but  still  keeping  the  ear  trumpet  in  place  with 
her  right.  "  You  will?  Well,  I  don't  want  none  of 
your  miser'ble  money!  Land  knows  how  you  made 

73 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

it,  anyhow,  and  I  wouldn't  soil  my  hands  with  it. 
After  all  I've  put  up  with,  and  the  way  I've  done  my 
work,  and  the  things  I've  had  to  eat,  and — and " 

She  paused  for  breath.  Captain  Cy  scratched  his 
chin.  Asaph,  gazing  open-mouthed  at  the  trumpet, 
stirred  in  his  chair.  Mrs.  Beasley  swooped  down 
upon  him  like  a  gull  on  a  minnow. 

"  And  you!"  she  shrieked.  'You!  a  miserable 
little,  good-for-nothin',  lazy,  ridiculous,  dried-up — 
.  .  .  Oo — oo — ohl  You  call  yourself  a  town  clerk! 
You  do!  I — I  wouldn't  have  you  clerk  for  a  hen 
house !  I'm  an  old  chromo,  be  I  ?  Yes !  that's 
nice  talk,  ain't  it,  to  a  woman  old  enough  to  be- 
that  is — er — er — 'most  as  old  as  you  be!  You 
sneakin',  story-tellin',  little,  fat  thing,  you !  You — 
oh,  I  can't  lay  my  tongue  to  words  to  tell  you  what 
you  are." 

'  You're  doin'  pretty  well,  seems  to  me,"  observed 
Captain  Cy  dryly.  "  I  wouldn't  be  discouraged  if 
I  was  you." 

The  only  effect  of  this  remark  was  to  turn  the 
wordy  torrent  in  his  direction.  The  captain  bore  it 
for  a  while;  then  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  commanded 
silence. 

"  That's  enough !  Stop  it !  "  he  ordered,  and, 
strange  to  say,  Mrs.  Beasley  did  stop.  "  I'm  sorry, 
Debby,"  he  went  on,  "  but  you  had  no  business  to  be 
listenin'  even  if — "  and  he  smiled  grimly,  "  you  have 
got  a  new  fog  horn  to  hear  with.  You  can  go  and 

74 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

pack  your  things  as  soon  as  you  want  to.  I  made  up 
my  mind  the  first  day  you  come  that  you  and  me 
wouldn't  cruise  together  long,  and  this  only  shortens 
the  trip  by  a  week  or  so.  I'll  pay  you  for  this  month 
and  for  the  next,  and  I  guess,  when  you  come  to  think 
it  over,  you'll  be  willin'  to  risk  soilin'  your  hands  with 
the  money.  It's  your  own  fault  if  anybody  knows 
that  you  didn't  leave  of  your  own  accord.  /  shan't 
tell,  and  I'll  see  that  Tidditt  doesn't.  Now  trot! 
Ase  and  I'll  get  supper  ourselves." 

It  was  evident  that  the  ex-housekeeper  had  much 
more  which  she  would  have  liked  to  say.  But  there 
was  that  in  her  late  employer's  manner  which  caused 
her  to  forbear.  She  slammed  out  of  the  room,  and 
they  heard  her  banging  things  about  on  the  floor 
above. 

;'  But  where — where"  repeated  Mr.  Tidditt,  over 
and  over,  "  did  she  get  that  trumpet?  " 

The  puzzle  was  solved  soon  after,  when  Bailey 
Bangs  entered  the  house  in  a  high  state  of  excitement. 

"  Well,"  he  demanded,  expectantly.  "  Did  they 
help  her?  Has  anything  happened?  " 

"  Happened!  "  began  Asaph,  but  Captain  Cy  si 
lenced  him  by  a  wink. 

'Yes,"  answered  the  captain;  "something's  hap 
pened.  Why?" 

"  Hurrah !  I  thought  'twould.  She  can  hear  bet 
ter,  can't  she  ?  " 

'  Yes,  I  guess  it's  safe  to  say  she  can." 
75 


"  Good !  You  can  thank  me  for  it.  When  I  see 
how  dreadful  deef  she  was  I  wrote  my  cousin  Eddie 
T,  who's  an  optician  up  to  Boston — you  know  him, 
Ase — and  I  says :  '  Ed,  you  know  what's  good  for 
folks  who  can't  see?  Ain't  there  nothin','  says  I, 
1  that'll  help  them  who  can't  hear?  How  about  ear 
trumpets?  '  And  Ed  wrote  that  an  ear  trumpet 
would  probably  help  some,  but  why  didn't  I  try  a  pair 
of  them  patent  fixin's  that  are  made  to  put  inside 
deef  people's  ears?  He'd  known  of  cases  where 
they  helped  a  lot.  So  I  sent  for  a  pair,  and  the 
biggest  ear  trumpet  made,  besides.  And  when  I 
met  Debby  to-day  I  give  'em  to  her  and  told  her 
to  put  the  patent  things  in  her  ears  and  couple  on 
the  trumpet  outside  'em.  And  not  to  say  nothin'  to 
you,  but  just  surprise  you.  And  it  did  surprise  you, 
didn't  it?" 

The  wrathful  Mr.  Tidditt  could  wait  no  longer. 
He  burst  into  a  vivid  description  of  the  "  surprise." 
Bailey  was  aghast.  Captain  Cy  laughed  until  his 
face  was  purple. 

"  I  declare,  Cy  I  "  exclaimed  the  dejected  purchaser 
of  the  "  ear  fixin's  "  and  the  trumpet.  "  I  do  declare 
I'm  awful  sorry!  if  you'd  only  told  me  she  was  no 
good  I'd  have  let  her  alone;  but  I  thought  'twas  just 
the  deefness.  I — I 

"  I  know,  Bailey;  you  meant  well,  like  the  layin'- 
on-of-hands  doctor  who  rubbed  the  rheumatic  man's 
wooden  leg.  All  right;  /  forgive  you.  'Twas  worth 

76 


BAILEY    BANGS'S    EXPERIMENT 

it  all  to  see  Asaph's  face  when  Marm  Beasley  was 
complimentin'  him.  Ha  !  ha !  Oh,  dear  me !  I've 
laughed  till  I'm  sore.  But  there's  one  thing  I  should 
like  to  do,  if  you  don't  mind:  I  should  like  to  pick 
out  my  next  housekeeper  myself." 


CHAPTER   V 

A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

MRS.  BEASLEY  departed  next  morning, 
taking  with  her  the  extra  month's  wages, 
in  spite  of  fervid  avowals  that  she 
wouldn't  touch  a  cent  of  it.  On  the  way  to  the  de 
pot  she  favored  Mr.  Lumley  with  sundry  hints  con 
cerning  the  reasons  for  her  departure.  She  "  couldn't 
stand  it  no  longer";  if  folks  only  knew  what  she'd 
had  to  put  up  with  she  cal'lated  they'd  be  some  sur 
prised;  she  could  "  tell  a  few  things  "  if  she  wanted 
to,  and  so  on.  Incidentally  she  was  kind  of  glad  she 
didn't  like  the  place,  because  now  she  cal'lated  she 
should  go  West  and  visit  her  niece;  they'd  been 
wanting  her  to  come  for  so  long. 

Gabe  was  much  interested  and  repeated  the  mono 
logue,  with  imaginative  additions,  to  the  depot  mas 
ter,  who,  in  turn,  repeated  it  to  his  wife  when  he 
went  home  to  dinner.  That  lady  attended  sewing 
circle  in  the  afternoon.  Next  day  a  large  share  of 
Bayport's  conversation  dealt  with  the  housekeeper's 
leaving  and  her  reasons  therefor.  The  reasons  dif 
fered  widely,  according  to  the  portion  of  the  town 

78 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

in  which  they  were  discussed,  but  it  was  the  general 
opinion  that  the  whole  affair  was  not  creditable  to 
Captain  Whittaker. 

Only  at  the  perfect  boarding  house  was  the  cap 
tain  upheld.  Miss  Phinney  declared  that  she  knew 
he  had  made  a  mistake  as  soon  as  she  heard  the  Beas- 
ley  woman  talk;  nobody  else,  so  Angeline  declared, 
could  "  get  a  word  in  edgeways."  Mrs.  Tripp  sighed 
and  affirmed  that  going  out  of  town  for  a  woman  to 
do  housework  was  ridiculous  on  the  face  of  it;  there 
were  plenty  of  Bayport  ladies,  women  of  capability 
and  sound  in  their  religious  views,  who  might  be  hired 
if  they  were  approached  in  the  right  way.  Keturah 
gave,  as  her  opinion,  that  if  the  captain  knew  when 
he  was  well  off,  he  would  "  take  his  meals  out." 
Asaph  snorted  and  intimated  that  that  Debby  Beas- 
ley  wasn't  fit  to  "  keep  house  in  a  pigsty,  and  anybody 
but  a  born  gump  would  have  known  it."  Bailey,  the 
"  born  gump,"  said  nothing,  but  looked  appealingly 
at  his  chum. 

As  for  Captain  Cy,  he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to 
affirm  or  deny  the  rumors.  Peace  and  quiet  domi 
nated  the  Whittaker  house  for  the  first  time  in  three 
weeks  and  its  owner  was  happier.  He  cooked  his 
own  food  and  washed  his  own  dishes.  The  runaway 
cat  ventured  to  return,  found  other  viands  than  beans 
in  its  saucer,  and  decided  to  remain,  purring  thankful 
contentment.  The  captain  made  his  own  bed,  after 
a  fashion,  when  he  was  ready  to  occupy  it,  but  he  was 

79 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

conscious  that  it  might  be  better  made.  He  refused, 
however,  to  spend  his  time  in  sweeping  and  dusting, 
and  the  dust  continued  to  accumulate  on  the  carpets 
and  furniture.  This  condition  of  affairs  troubled 
him,  but  he  kept  his  own  counsel.  Asaph  and  Bailey 
called  often,  but  they  offered  no  more  suggestions 
as  to  hiring  a  housekeeper.  Mr.  Tidditt  might 
have  done  so,  but  the  captain  gave  him  no  encour 
agement.  Mr.  Bangs,  recent  humiliation  fresh  in 
his  mind,  would  as  soon  have  suggested  setting  the 
house  on  fire. 

One  evening  Asaph  happened  in,  on  his  way  to 
Simmons's.  He  desired  the  captain  to  accompany 
him  to  that  gathering  place  of  the  wise  and  talkative. 
Captain  Cy  was  in  the  sitting  room,  a  sheet  of  note 
paper  in  his  hand.  The  town  clerk  entered  without 
ceremony  and  tossed  his  hat  on  the  sofa. 

"  Evenin',  Ase,"  observed  the  captain,  folding  the 
sheet  of  paper  and  putting  it  into  his  pocket.  "  Glad 
you  come.  Sit  down.  I  wanted  to  ask  you  some- 
thin'." 

"  All  right!     Here  I  be.     Heave  ahead  and  ask." 

Captain  Cy  puffed  at  his  pipe.  He  seemed  about 
to  speak  and  then  to  think  better  of  it,  for  he  crossed 
his  legs  and  smoked  on  in  silence,  gazing  at  the  nickel 
work  of  the  "  base-burner  "  stove.  It  was  badly  in 
need  of  polishing. 

"  Well?  "  inquired  Asaph,  with  impatient  sarcasm. 
"  Thinkin'  of  askin'  me  to  build  a  fire  for  you,  was 

80 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

you  ?  Nobody  else  but  you  would  have  set  up  a  stove 
in  summer  time,  anyhow." 

"  Hey?  No,  you  needn't  start  a  fire  yet  awhile. 
That  necktie  of  yours  '11  keep  us  warm  till  fall,  I 
shouldn't  wonder.  New  one,  ain't  it?  Where'd  you 
get  it?" 

Mr.  Tidditt  was  wearing  a  crocheted  scarf  of  a 
brilliant  crimson  hue,  particularly  becoming  to  his 
complexion.  The  complexion  now  brightened  until 
it  was  almost  a  match  for  the  tie. 

"Oh!"  he  said,  with  elaborate  indifference. 
'  That?  Yes,  it's  new.  Yesterday  was  my  birthday, 
and  Matildy  Tripp  she  knew  I  needed  a  necktie,  so  she 
give  me  this  one." 

"  Oh !  One  she  knit  purpose  for  you,  then?  Dear 
me !  Look  out,  Ase.  Widow  v/omen  are  dangerous, 
they  say;  presents  are  one  of  the  first  baits  they  heave 
out." 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  now !  I  couldn't  chuck  it  back 
at  her,  could  I?  That  would  be  pretty  manners. 
You  needn't  talk  about  widders — not  after  Debby! 
Ho!  ho!" 

Captain  Cy  chuckled.  Then  he  suddenly  became 
serious. 

"  Ase,"  he  said,  "  you  remember  the  time  when  the 
Howes  folks  had  this  house?  Course  you  do.  Yes; 
well,  was  there  any  of  their  relations  here  with  'em? 
A — a  cousin,  or  somethin'?  " 

"  No,  not  as  I  recollect.  Yes,  there  was,  too,  come 
7  Si 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

to  think.  A  third  cousin,  Mary  Thayer  her  name 
was.  I  think  she  was  a  third  cousin  of  Betsy  Howes, 
Seth  Howes's  second  wife.  Betsy's  name  was  Ginn 
afore  she  married,  and  the  Ginns  was  related  on  their 
ma's  side  to  a  Richards — Emily  Richards,  I  think 
'twas — and  Emily  married  a  Thayer.  Would  that 
make  this  Mary  a  third  cousin  ?  Now  let's  see ;  Sarah 
Jane  Ginn,  she  had  an  aunt  who  kept  a  boardin'  house 
in  Harniss.  I  remember  that,  'count  of  her  sellin' 
my  Uncle  Bije  a  pig.  Seems  to  me  'twas  a  pig,  but  I 
ain't  sure  that  it  mightn't  have  been  a  settin'  of  Ply 
mouth  Rock  hens'  eggs.  Anyhow,  Uncle  Bije  kept 
hens,  because  I  remember  one  time " 

"  There!  there!  we'll  be  out  of  sight  of  land  in  a 
minute.  This  Mary  Thayer — old,  was  she?  " 

"  No,  no!  Just  a  young  girl,  eighteen  or  twenty 
or  so.  Pretty  and  nice  and  quiet  as  ever  I  see.  By 
Godfrey,  she  was  pretty  I  I  wan't  as  old  as  I  be  now, 
and " 

"  Ase,  don't  tell  your  heart  secrets,  even  to  me.  I 
might  get  absent-minded  and  mention  'em  to  Matildy. 
And  then — whew  I  " 

"  If  you  don't  stop  tryin'  to  play  smarty  I'll  go 
home.  What's  Matildy  Tripp  to  me,  I'd  like  to 
know?  And  even  when  Mary  Thayer  was  here  I 
was  old  enough  to  be  her  dad.  But  I  remember  what 
a  nice  girl  she  was  and  how  the  boarders  liked  her. 
They  used  to  say  she  done  more  than  all  the  Howes 
tribe  put  together  to  make  the  Sea  Sight  House  a 

82 


A   FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

good  hotel.  Young  as  she  was  she  done  most  of  the 
housekeepin'  and  done  it  well.  If  the  rest  of  'em  had 
been  like  her  you  mightn't  have  had  the  place  yet, 
Whit.  But  what  set  you  to  thinkin'  about  her?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know !  Nothin'  much;  that  is — well, 
I'll  tell  you  some  other  time.  What  became  of  her?  " 

"  She  went  up  to  New  Hampshire  along  with  the 
Howes  folks  and  I  ain't  seen  her  since.  Seems  to  me 
I  did  hear  she  was  married.  See  here,  Whit,  what  is 
it  about  her?  Tell  a  feller ;  come !" 

But  Captain  Cy  refused  to  gratify  his  chum's  lively 
curiosity.  Also  he  refused  to  go  to  Simmons's  that 
evening,  saying  that  he  was  tired  and  guessed  he'd 
stay  at  home  and  "  turn  in  early."  Mr.  Tidditt  de 
parted  grumbling.  After  he  had  gone  the  captain 
drew  his  chair  nearer  the  center  table,  took  from  his 
pocket  a  sheet  of  notepaper,  and  proceeded  to  read 
what  was  written  on  its  pages.  It  was  a  letter  which 
he  had  received  nearly  a  month  before  and  had  not 
yet  answered.  During  the  past  week  he  had  read  it 
many  times.  The  writing  was  cramped  and  blotted 
and  the  paper  cheap  and  dingy.  The  envelope  bore 
the  postmark  of  a  small  town  in  Indiana,  and  the  in- 
closure  was  worded  as  follows : 

CAPTAIN  CYRUS  WHITTAKER. 

DEAR  SIR:  I  suppose  you  will  be  a  good  deal  surprised  to  hear 
from  me,  especially  from  way  out  West  here.  When  you  bought 
the  old  house  of  Seth,  he  and  I  was  living  in  Concord,  N.  H.  He 
couldn't  make  a  go  of  his  business  there,  so  we  came  West  and  he 

83 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

has  been  sick  most  of  the  time  since.  We  ain't  well  off  like  you, 
and  times  are  hard  with  us.  What  I  wanted  to  write  you  about 
was  this.  My  cousin  Mary  Thomas,  Mary  Thayer  that  was,  is 
still  living  in  Concord  and  she  is  poor  and  needs  help,  though  I 
don't  suppose  she  would  ask  for  it,  being  too  proud.  False  pride 
I  call  it.  Me  and  Seth  would  like  to  do  something  for  her,  but  we 
have  a  hard  enough  job  to  keep  going  ourselves.  Mary  married  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Henry  Thomas,  and  he  turned  out  to  be  a 
miserable  good-for-nothing,  as  I  always  said  he  would.  She 
wouldn't  listen  to  me  though.  He  run  off  and  left  her  seven  year 
ago  last  April,  and  I  understand  was  killed  or  drowned  some- 
wheres  up  in  Montana.  Mary  and  [several  words  scratched  out 
here]  got  along  somehow  since,  but  I  don't  know  how.  While  we 
lived  in  Concord  Seth  sort  of  kept  an  eye  on  her,  but  now  he  can't 
of  course.  She's  a  good  girl,  or  woman  rather,  being  most  forty, 
and  would  make  a  good  housekeeper  if  you  should  need  one  as  I 
suppose  likely  you  will.  If  you  could  help  her  it  would  be  an  act 
of  charity  and  you  will  be  rewarded  Above.  Seth  says  why  not 
write  to  her  and  tell  her  tc  come  and  see  you  ?  He  feels  bad  about 
her,  because  he  is  so  sick  I  suppose.  And  he  knows  you  are  rich 
and  could  do  good  if  you  felt  like  it.  Her  father's  name  was  John 
Thayer.  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  you  used  to  know  her  mother.  She 
was  Emily  Richards  afore  she  married  and  they  used  to  live  in 
Orham.  Yours  truly, 

ELIZABETH  HOWES. 

P.  S. — Mary's  address  is  Mrs.  Mary  Thomas,  care  Mrs.  Oliver, 
128  Blank  Street,  Concord,  N.  H. 

N.  B. — Seth  won't  say  so,  but  I  will:  we  are  very  hard  up  our 
selves  and  if  you  could  help  him  and  me  with  the  loan  of  a  little 
money  it  would  be  thankfully  received. 

Captain  Cy  read  the  letter,  folded  it,  and  replaced 
it  in  his  pocket.    He  knew  the  Howes  family  by  repu- 

84 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

tation,  and  the  reputation  was  that  of  general  sharp 
ness  in  trade  and  stinginess  in  money  matters.  Betsy's 
personal  appeal  did  not,  therefore,  touch  his  heart 
to  any  great  extent.  He  surmised  also  that  for  Seth 
Howes  and  his  wife  to  ask  help  for  some  per 
son  other  than  themselves  premised  a  darky  in  the 
woodpile  somewhere.  But  for  the  daughter  of  Emily 
Richards  to  be  suggested  as  a  possible  housekeeper  at 
the  Cy  Whittaker  place — that  was  interesting,  cer 
tainly. 

When  the  captain  was  not  a  captain — \vhen  he  was 
merely  "  young  Cy,"  a  boy,  living  with  his  parents,  a 
dancing  school  was  organized  in  Bayport.  It  was  an 
innovation  for  our  village,  and  frowned  upon  by 
many  of  the  older  and  stricter  inhabitants.  However, 
most  of  the  captain's  boy  friends  were  permitted  to 
attend;  young  Cy  was  not.  His  father  considered 
dancing  a  waste  of  time  and,  if  not  wicked,  certainly 
frivolous  and  nonsensical.  So  the  boy  remained  at 
home,  but,  in  spite  of  the  parental  order,  he  prac 
ticed  some  of  the  figures  of  the  quadrilles  and  the  con 
tra  dances  in  his  comrades'  barns,  learning  them  at 
second  hand,  so  to  speak. 

One  winter  there  was  to  be  a  party  in  Orham, 
given  by  the  Nickersons,  wealthy  people  with  a 
fifteen-year-old  daughter.  It  was  to  be  a  grand  af 
fair,  and  most  of  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  neighbor 
ing  towns  were  invited.  Cy  received  an  invitation, 
and,  for  a  wonder,  was  permitted  to  attend.  The 

85 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

Bayport  contingent  went  over  in  a  big  hayrick  on 
runners  and  the  moonlight  ride  was  jolly  enough. 
The  Nickerson  mansion  was  crowded  and  there  were 
music  and  dancing. 

Young  Cy  was  miserable  during  the  dancing.  He 
didn't  dare  attempt  it,  in  spite  of  his  lessons  in  the 
barn.  So,  while  the  rest  of  his  boy  friends  sought 
partners  for  the  "  Portland  Fancy  "  and  "  Hull's 
Victory  "  he  sat  forlorn  in  a  corner. 

As  he  sat  there  he  was  approached  by  a  young 
lady,  radiant  in  muslin  and  ribbons.  She  was  three 
or  four  years  older  than  he  was,  and  he  had  wor 
shipped  her  from  afar  as  she  whirled  up  and  down 
the  line  in  the  Virginia  Reel.  She  never  lacked  part 
ners  and  seemed  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  young 
men,  especially  one  good-looking  chap  with  a  sun 
burned  face,  who  looked  like  a  sailor. 

They  were  forming  sets  for  "Money  Musk"; 
it  was  "  ladies'  choice,"  and  there  was  a  demand 
for  more  couples.  The  young  lady  came  over 
to  Cy's  corner  and  laughingly  dropped  him  a 
courtesy. 

"  If  you  please,"  she  said,  "  I  want  a  partner. 
Will  you  do  me  the  honor?  " 

Cy  blushingly  avowed  that  he  couldn't  dance  any 
to  speak  of. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  can !  I'm  sure  you  can.  You're 
the  Whittaker  boy,  aren't  you?  I've  heard  about 
your  barn  lessons.  And  I  want  you  to  try  this  with 

86 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

me.  Please  do.  No,  John,"  she  added,  turning  to 
the  sunburned  young  fellow  who  had  followed  her 
across  the  room ;  "  this  is  my  choice  and  here  is  my 
partner.  Susie  Taylor  is  after  you  and  you  mustn't 
run  away.  Come,  Mr.  Whittaker." 

So  Cy  took  her  arm  and  they  danced  "  Money 
Musk  "  together.  He  made  but  a  few  mistakes,  and 
these  she  helped  him  to  correct  so  easily  that  none 
noticed.  His  success  gave  him  courage  and  he  es 
sayed  other  dances;  in  fact,  he  had  a  very  good  time 
at  the  party  after  all. 

On  the  way  home  he  thought  a  great  deal  about 
the  pretty  young  lady,  whose  name  he  discovered  was 
Emily  Richards.  He  decided  that  if  she  would  only 
wait  for  him,  he  might  like  to  marry  her  when  he 
grew  up.  But  he  was  thirteen  and  she  was  seventeen, 
and  the  very  next  year  she  married  John  Thayer,  the 
sailor  in  the  blue  suit.  And  two  years  after  that 
young  Cy  ran  away  to  be  a  sailor  himself. 

In  spite  of  his  age  and  his  lifetime  of  battering 
about  the  world,  Captain  Cy  had  a  sentimental  streak 
in  his  makeup;  his  rejuvenation  of  the  old  home 
proved  that.  Betsy's  letter  interested  him.  He  had 
made  guarded  inquiries  concerning  Mary  Thayer, 
now  Mary  Thomas,  of  others  besides  Asaph,  and  the 
answers  had  been  satisfactory  so  far  as  they  went; 
those  who  remembered  her  had  liked  her  very  much. 
The  captain  had  even  begun  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Thomas, 
but  laid  it  aside  unfinished,  having,  since  Bailey's  un- 

8? 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

fortunate  experience  with  the  widow  Beasley,  a  preju 
dice  against  experiments. 

But  this  evening,  before  Mr.  Tidditt  called,  he  had 
been  thinking  that  something  would  have  to  be  done 
and  done  soon.  The  generally  shiftless  condition  of 
his  domestic  surroundings  was  getting  to  be  unbear 
able.  Dust  and  dirt  did  not  fit  into  his  mental  picture 
of  the  old  home  as  it  used  to  be  and  as  he  had  tried 
to  restore  it.  There  had  been  neither  dust  nor  dirt 
in  his  mother's  day. 

He  meditated  and  smoked  for  another  hour. 
Then,  his  mind  being  made  up,  he  pulled  down  the 
desk  lid  of  the  old-fashioned  secretary,  resurrected 
from  a  pile  of  papers  the  note  he  had  begun  to  Mrs. 
Thomas,  dipped  a  sputtering  pen  into  the  ink  bottle 
and  proceeded  to  write. 

His  letter  was  a  short  one  and  rather  noncommit 
tal.  As  Mrs.  Thomas  no  doubt  knew  he  had  come 
back  to  live  in  his  father's  house  at  Bayport.  He 
might  possibly  need  some  one  to  keep  house  for  him. 
He  understood  that  she,  Mary  Thayer  that  was,  was 
a  good  housekeeper  and  that  she  was  open  to  an  en 
gagement  if  everything  was  mutually  satisfactory. 
He  had  known  her  mother  slightly  when  the  latter 
lived  in  Orham.  He  thought  an  interview  might  be 
pleasant,  for  they  could  talk  over  old  times  if  noth 
ing  more.  Perhaps,  on  the  whole,  she  might  care 
to  risk  a  trip  to  Bayport,  therefore  he  inclosed  money 
for  her  railroad  fare.  '  You  understand,  of  course," 

88 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

so  he  wrote  in  conclusion,  "  that  nothing  may  come 
of  our  meeting  at  all.  So  please  don't  say  a  word  to 
anybody  when  you  strike  town.  You've  lived  here 
yourself,  and  you  know  that  three  words  hove  over 
board  in  Bayport  will  dredge  up  gab  enough  to  sink 
a  dictionary.  So  just  keep  mum  till  the  business  is 
settled  one  way  or  the  other." 

He  put  on  his  hat  and  went  down  to  the  post  office, 
where  he  dropped  his  letter  in  the  slot  of  the  box 
fastened  to  the  front  door.  Then  he  returned  home 
and  retired  at  exactly  eleven  o'clock.  In  spite  of  his 
remarks  to  Asaph,  he  had  not  "  turned  in  "  so  early 
after  all. 

If  the  captain  expected  a  prompt  reply  to  his  note 
he  was  disappointed.  A  week  passed  and  he  heard 
nothing.  Then  three  more  days  and  still  no  word 
from  the  New  Hampshire  widow.  Meanwhile  fresh 
layers  of  dust  spread  themselves  over  the  Whittaker 
furniture,  and  the  gaudy  patterns  of  the  carpets 
blushed  dimly  beneath  a  grimy  fog.  The  situation 
was  desperate;  even  Matilda  Tripp,  Come-Outer 
sermons  and  all,  began  to  be  thinkable  as  a  possi 
bility. 

The  eleventh  day  began  with  a  pouring  rain  that 
changed,  later  on,  to  a  dismal  drizzle.  The  silver- 
leaf  tree  in  the  front  yard  dripped,  and  the  overflow 
ing  gutters  gurgled  and  splashed.  The  bay  was 
gray  and  lonely,  and  the  fish  weirs  along  the  outer 
bar  were  lost  in  the  mist.  The  flowers  in  the  Atkins 

89 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

urns  were  draggled  and  beaten  down.  Only  the 
iron  dogs  glistened  undaunted  as  the  wet  ran  off 
their  newly  painted  backs.  The  air  was  heavy,  and 
the  salty  flavor  of  the  flats  might  almost  be  tasted 
in  it. 

Captain  Cy  was  in  the  sitting  room,  as  usual.  His 
spirits  were  as  gray  as  the  weather.  He  was  actually 
lonesome  for  the  first  time  since  his  return  home. 
He  had  kindled  a  wood  fire  in  the  stove,  just  for  the 
sociability  of  it,  and  the  crackle  and  glow  behind  the 
isinglass  panes  only  served  to  remind  him  of  other 
days  and  other  fires.  The  sitting  room  had  not  been 
lonesome  then. 

He  heard  the  depot  wagon  rattle  by  and,  peering 
from  the  window,  saw  that,  except  for  Mr.  Lumley, 
it  was  empty.  Not  even  a  summer  boarder  had  come 
to  brighten  our  ways  and  lawns  with  reckless  raiment 
and  the  newest  slang.  Summer  boarding  season  was 
almost  over  now.  Bayport  would  soon  be  as  dull 
as  dish  water.  And  the  captain  admitted  to  him 
self  that  it  was  dull.  He  had  half  a  mind  to  take  a 
flying  trip  to  Boston,  make  the  round  of  the  wharves, 
and  see  if  any  of  the  old  shipowners  and  ship  cap 
tains  whom  he  had  once  known  were  still  alive  and  in 
harness. 

"JINGLE!  Jingle!  Jingle!  Jingle!  Jingle! 
Jing!  Jing!  Jing!  " 

Captain  Cy  bounced  in  his  chair.  That  was  the 
front-door  bell.  The  front-door  bell !  Who  on 

90 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

earth,  or,  rather,  who  in  Bayport,  would  come  to  the 
front  door? 

He  hurried  through  the  dim  grandeur  of  the  best 
parlor  and  entered  the  little  dark  front  hall.  The 
bell  was  still  swinging  at  the  end  of  its  coil  of 
wire.  The  dust  shaken  from  it  still  hung  in  the 
air.  The  captain  unbolted  and  unlocked  the  big 
front  door. 

A  girl  was  standing  on  the  steps  between  the  lines 
of  box  hedge — a  little  girl  under  a  big  "  grown-up  " 
umbrella.  The  wet  dripped  from  the  umbrella  top 
and  from  the  hem  of  the  little  girl's  dress. 

Captain  Cy  stared  hard  at  his  visitor;  he  knew 
most  of  the  children  in  Bayport,  but  he  didn't  know 
this  one.  Obviously  she  was  a  stranger.  Portuguese 
children  from  "  up  Harniss  way  "  sometimes  called 
to  peddle  huckleberries,  but  this  child  was  no  "  Por- 
tugee." 

"  Hello !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  wonderingly. 
"Did  you  ring  the  bell?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  girl. 

"Humph!     Did,  hey?    Why?" 

"  Why?  Why,  I  thought—  Isn't  it  a  truly  bell? 
Didn't  it  ought  to  ring?  Is  anybody  sick  or  dead? 
There  isn't  any  crape." 

"  Dead?  Crape?  "  Captain  Cy  gasped.  "  What 
in  the  world  put  that  in  your  head?  " 

'  Well,  I  didn't  know  but  maybe  that  was  why 
you  thought  I  hadn't  ought  to  have  rung  it.    When 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

mamma  was  sick  they  didn't  let  people  ring  our  bell. 
And  when  she  died  they  tied  it  up  with  crape." 

"  Did,  hey?  Hum!  "  The  captain  scratched  his 
chin  and  gazed  at  the  small  figure  before  him.  It 
was  a  self-poised,  matter-of-fact  figure  for  such  a  lit 
tle  one,  and,  out  there  in  the  rain  under  the  tent  roof 
of  the  umbrella,  it  was  rather  pitiful. 

"  Please,  sir,"  said  the  child,  "  are  you  Captain 
Cyrus  Whittaker?  " 

"  Yup !  That's  me.  You've  guessed  it  the  first 
time." 

"  Yes,  sir.  I've  got  a  letter  for  you.  It's  pinned 
inside  my  dress.  If  you  could  hold  this  umbrella 
maybe  I  could  get  it  out." 

She  extended  the  big  umbrella  at  arm's  length, 
holding  it  with  both  hands.  Captain  Cy  woke  up. 

"  Good  land!  "  he  exclaimed,  "  what  am  I  thinkin' 
of?  You're  soakin'  wet  through,  ain't  you?  " 

"  I  guess  I'm  pretty  wet.  It's  a  long  ways  from 
the  depot,  and  I  tried  to  come  across  the  fields,  be 
cause  a  boy  said  it  was  nearer,  and  the  bushes  were 
^^ i) 

"  Across  the  fields?  Have  you  walked  all  the  way 
from  the  depot?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  The  man  said  it  was  a  quarter  to  ride, 
and  auntie  said  I  must  be  careful  of  my  money  be 
cause " 

"  By  the  big  dipper!  Come  in!  Come  in  out  of 
that  this  minute !  " 

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A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

He  sprang  down  the  steps,  furled  the  umbrella, 
seized  her  by  the  arm  and  led  her  into  the  house, 
through  the  parlor  and  into  the  sitting  room,  where 
the  fire  crackled  invitingly.  He  could  feel  that  the 
dress  sleeve  under  his  hand  was  wet  through,  and 
the  worn  boots  and  darned  stockings  he  could  see 
were  soaked  likewise. 

'There!"  he  cried.  "Set  down  in  that  chair. 
Put  your  feet  up  on  that  h'ath.  Sakes  alive !  Your 
folks  ought  to  know  better  than  to  let  you  stir  out 
this  weather,  let  alone  walkin'  a  mile — and  no  rub 
bers  !  Them  shoes  ought  to  come  off  this  minute,  I 
s'pose.  Take  'em  off.  You  can  dry  your  stockings 
better  that  way.  Off  with  'em !  " 

'  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  child,  stooping  to  unbutton 
the  shoes.  Her  wet  fingers  were  blue.  It  can  be  cold 
in  our  village,  even  in  early  September,  when  there  is 
an  easterly  storm.  Unbuttoning  the  shoes  was  slow 
work. 

''  Here,  let  me  help  you !  "  commanded  the  cap 
tain,  getting  down  on  one  knee  and  taking  a  foot  in 
his  lap.  '  Tut !  tut !  tut !  you're  wet !  Been  some 
time  sence  I  fussed  with  button  boots;  lace  or  long- 
legged  cowhides  come  handier.  Never  wore  cow 
hides,  did  you?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  s'pose  not.  I  used  to  when  I  was  little.  Re 
member  the  first  pair  I  had.  Copper  toes  on  'em — 
whew !  The  copper  was  blacked  over  when  they  come 

93 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

out  of  the  store  and  that  wouldn't  do,  so  we  used  to 
kick  a  stone  wall  till  they  brightened  up.  There! 
there  she  comes.  Humph !  stockin's  soaked,  too. 
Wish  I  had  some  dry  ones  to  lend  you.  Might  give 
you  a  pair  of  mine,  but  they'd  be  too  scant  fore  and 
aft  and  too  broad  in  the  beam,  I  cal'late.  Humph ! 
and  your  top-riggin's  as  wet  as  your  hull.  Been  on 
your  beam  ends,  have  you?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  I  fell  down  in  the  bushes 
coming  across.  There  were  vines  and  they  tripped 
me  up.  And  the  umbrella  was  so  heavy  that— 

'  Yes,  I  could  see  right  off  you  was  carryin'  too 
much  canvas.  Now  take  off  your  bunnit  and  I'll  get 
a  coat  of  mine  to  wrap  you  up  in." 

He  went  into  his  bedroom  and  returned  with  a 
heavy  "  reefer  "  jacket.  Ordering  his  caller  to  stand 
up  he  slipped  her  arms  into  the  sleeves  and  turned  the 
collar  up  about  her  neck.  Her  braided  u  pigtail  "  of 
yellow  hair  stuck  out  over  the  collar  and  hung  down 
her  back  in  a  funny  way.  The  coat  sleeves  reached 
almost  to  her  knees  and  the  coat  itself  enveloped  her 
like  a  bed  quilt. 

"  There!  "  said  Captain  Cy  approvingly.  "  Now 
you  look  more  as  if  you  was  under  a  storm  rig.  Set 
down  and  toast  your  toes.  Where's  that  letter  you 
said  you  had?  " 

"  It's  inside  here.  I  don't  know's  I  can  get  at  it; 
these  sleeves  are  so  long." 

"  Reef  'em.  Turn  'em  up.  Let  me  show  you. 
94 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

That's  better !     Hum !    So  you  come  from  the  depot, 
hey?    Live  up  that  way?  " 

"  No,  sir !    I  used  to  live  in  Concord,  but " 

"  Concord?     Concord?    Concord  where?  " 

"  Concord,  New  Hampshire.  I  came  on  the  cars. 
Auntie  knew  a  man  who  was  going  to  Boston,  and 
he  said  he'd  take  care  of  me  as  far  as  that  and  then 
put  me  on  the  train  to  come  down  here.  I  stopped 
at  his  folks'  house  in  Charlestown  last  night,  and 
this  morning  we  got  up  early  and  he  bought  me  a 
ticket  and  started  me  for  here.  I  had  a  box  with 
my  things  in  it,  but  it  was  so  heavy  I  couldn't 
carry  it,  so  I  left  it  up  at  the  depot.  The  man 
there  said  it  would  be  all  right  and  you  could  send 
for  it  when 

"I  could  send  for  it?     /  could?     What  in  the. 
world—      Say,  child,  you've  made  a  mistake  in  your 
bearin's.     'Taint  me  you  want  to  see,  it's  some  of 
your  folks,  relations,  most  likely.    Tell  me  who  they 
are;  maybe  I  know  'em." 

The  girl  sat  upright  in  the  big  chair.  Her  dark 
eyes  opened  wide  and  her  chin  quivered. 

"  Ain't  you  Captain  Cyrus  Whittaker?  "  she  de 
manded.  '  You  said  you  was." 

'  Yes,    yes,     I     am.       I'm    Cy    Whittaker,    but 
what " 

"  Well,  auntie  told  me " 

"  Auntie !     Auntie  who  ?  " 

"  Auntie  Oliver.     She  isn't  really  my'  auntie,  but 

95 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

mamma  and  me  lived  in  her  house  for  ever  so  long 
and  so — 

"Wait!  wait!  wait!  I'm  hull  down  in  the  fog. 
This  is  gettin'  too  thick  for  me.  Your  auntie's  name's 
Oliver  and  you  lived  in  Concord,  New  Hampshire. 
For — for  thunder  sakes,  what's  your  name?  " 

"  Emily  Richards  Thomas." 

"  Em— Emily— Richards—  Thomas !  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Emily  Richards  Thomas!  What  was  your  ma's 
name?  " 

"  Mamma  was  Mrs.  Thomas.  Her  front  name 
was  Mary.  She's  dead.  Don't  you  want  to  see  your 
letter?  I've  got  it  now." 

She  lifted  one  of  the  flapping  coat  sleeves  and  ex 
tended  a  crumpled,  damp  envelope.  Captain  Cy  took 
it  in  a  dazed  fashion  and  drew  a  long  breath.  Then 
he  tore  open  the  envelope  and  read  the  following: 

DEAR  CAPTAIN  WHITTAKER: 

The  bearer  of  this  is  Emily  Richards  Thomas.  She  is  seven, 
going  on  eight,  but  old  for  her  years.  Her  mother  was  Mary 
Thomas  that  used  to  be  Mar}'  Thayer.  It  was  her  you  wrote  to 
about  keeping  house  for  you,  but  she  had  been  dead  a  fortnight 
before  your  letter  come.  She  had  bronchial  pneumonia  and  it 
carried  her  off,  having  always  been  delicate  and  with  more  troubles 
to  bear  than  she  could  stand,  poor  thing.  Since  her  husband,  who 
I  say  was  a  scamp  even  if  he  is  dead,  left  her  and  the  baby,  she  has 
took  rooms  with  me  and  done  sewing  and  such.  When  she  passed 
away  I  wrote  to  Seth  Howes,  a  relation  of  hers  out  West,  and,  so 
far  as  I  know,  the  only  one  she  had.  I  told  the  Howes  man  that 

96 


A    FRONT-DOOR    CALLER 

Mary  had  gone  and  Emmie  was  left.  Would  they  take  her?  I 
wrote.  And  Seth's  wife  wrote  they  couldn't,  being  poorer  than 
poverty  themselves.  I  was  afraid  she  would  have  to  go  to  a  Home, 
but  when  your  letter  came  I  wrote  the  Howeses  again.  And  Mrs. 
Howes  wrote  back  that  you  was  rich,  and  a  sort  of  far-off  relation 
of  Mary's,  and  probably  you  would  be  glad  to  take  the  child  to  bring 
up.  Said  that  she  had  some  correspondence  with  you  about  Mary 
before.  So  I  send  Emmie  to  you.  Somebody's  got  to  take  care  of 
her  and  I  can't  afford  it,  though  I  would  if  I  could,  for  she's  a  real 
nice  child  and  some  like  her  mother.  I  do  hope  she  can  stay  with 
you.  It  seems  a  shame  to  send  her  to  the  orphan  asylum.  I  send 
along  what  clothes  she's  got,  which  ain't  many. 

Respectfully  yours, 

SARAH  OLIVER. 

Captain  Cy  read  the  letter  through.  Then  he 
wiped  his  forehead. 

"  Well!  "  he  muttered.  "  Well  I  I  never  in  my 
life!  I— I  never  did!  Of  all " 

Emily  Richards  Thomas  looked  up  from  the 
depths  of  the  coat  collar. 

;<  Don't  you  think,"  she  said,  "  that  you  had  better 
send  to  the  depot  for  my  box?  I  can  get  dry  some 
this  way,  but  mamma  always  made  me  change  my 
clothes  as  soon  as  I  could.  She  used  to  be  afraid  I'd 
get  cold." 


CHAPTER    VI 

ICICLES   AND   DUST 

CAPTAIN  CY  did  not  reply  to  the  request 
for  the  box.  It  is  doubtful  if  he  even  heard 
it.  Mrs.  Oliver's  astonishing  letter  had,  as 
he  afterwards  said,  left  him  "  high  and  dry  with  no 
tug  in  sight."  Mary  Thomas  was  dead,  and  her 
daughter,  her  daughter  I  of  whose  very  existence  he 
had  been  ignorant,  had  suddenly  appeared  from  no 
where  and  been  dropped  at  his  door,  like  an  out-of- 
season  May  basket,  accompanied  by  the  modest  sug 
gestion  that  he  assume  responsibility  for  her  there 
after.  No  wonder  the  captain  wiped  his  forehead  in 
utter  bewilderment. 

"  Don't  you  think  you'd  better  send  for  the  box?  " 
repeated  the  child,  shivering  a  little  under  the  big 
coat. 

"Hey?  What  say?  Never  mind,  though.  Just 
keep  quiet  for  a  spell,  won't  you.  I  want  to  let  this 
soak  in.  By  the  big  dipper!  Of  all  the  solid  brass 
cheek  that  ever  I  run  across,  this  beats  the  whole 
cargo!  And  Betsy  Howes  never  hinted!  '  Probably 
you  would  be  glad  to  take — '  Be  glad !  Why,  blast 

98 


ICICLES    AND    DUST 

their  miserable,  stingy —  What  do  they  take  me  for? 
/'//  show  'em  I  Indiana  ain't  so  fur  that  I  can't — 
Hey?  Did  you  say  anything,  sis?  " 

The  girl  had  shivered  again.  "  No,  sir,"  she  re 
plied.  "  It  was  my  teeth,  I  guess.  They  kind  of 
rattled." 

"  What?  You  ain't  cold,  are  you?  With  all  that 
round  you  and  in  front  of  that  fire?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  guess  not.  Only  my  back  feels 
sort  of  funny,  as  if  somebody  kept  dropping  icicles 
down  it.  Those  bushes  and  vines  were  so  wet  that 
when  I  tumbled  down  'twas  most  like  being  in  a 
pond." 

"  Sho !  sho !  That  won't  do.  Can't  have  you  laid 
up  on  my  hands.  That  would  be  worse  than — 
Humph !  Tut,  tut !  Somethin'  ought  to  be  done, 
and  I'm  blessed  if  I  know  what.  And  not  a  woman 
round  the  place — not  even  that  Debby.  Say,  look 
here,  what's  your  name — er — Emmie,  hadn't  I  better 
get  the  doctor?  " 

The  child  looked  frightened. 
'  Why?  "  she  cried,  her  big  eyes  opening.     "  I'm 
not  sick,  am  I?  " 

"  Sick?  No,  no!  Course  not,  course  not.  What 
would  you  want  to  be  sick  for?  But  you  ought  to 
get  warm  and  dry  right  off,  I  s'pose,  and  your  duds 
are  all  up  to  the  depot.  Say,  what  does — what  did 
your  ma  used  to  do  when  you  felt — er — them  icicles 
and  things?  " 

99 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  She  changed  my  clothes  and  rubbed  me.  And, 
if  I  was  very  wet  she  put  me  to  bed  sometimes." 

"Bed?  Sure!  why,  yes,  indeed.  Bed's  a  good 
place  to  keep  off  icicles.  There's  my  bedroom  right 
in  there.  You  could  turn  in  just  as  well  as  not.  Bunk 
ain't  made  yet,  but  I  can  shake  it  up  in  no  time.  Say 
— er — er — you  can  undress  yourself,  can't  you?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  sir!     Course  I  can!     I'm  most  eight." 

"  Sure  you  are !  Don't  act  a  mite  babyish.  All 
right,  you  set  still  till  I  shake  up  that  bunk." 

He  entered  the  chamber,  his  own,  opening  from 
the  sitting  room,  and  proceeded,  literally,  to  "  shake 
up  "  the  bed.  It  was  not  a  lengthy  process  and,  when 
it  was  completed,  he  returned  to  find  his  visitor  al 
ready  divested  of  the  coat  and  standing  before  the 
stove. 

"  I  guess  perhaps  you'll  have  to  help  undo  me 
behind,"  observed  the  young  lady.  "  This  is  my  best 
dress  and  I  can't  reach  the  buttons  in  the  middle  of 
the  back." 

Captain  Cy  scratched  his  head.  Then  he  clumsily 
unbuttoned  the  wet  waist,  glancing  rather  sheepishly 
at  the  window  to  see  if  anyone  was  coming. 

"So  this  is  your  best  dress,  hey?"  he  asked,  to 
cover  his  confusion.  It  was  obviously  not  very  new, 
for  it  was  neatly  mended  in  one  or  two  places. 

"  Yes,  sir."   ' 

"  So.     Where'd  you  buy  it — up  to  Concord?  " 

"  No,  sir.     Mamma  made  it,  a  year  ago." 

100 


ICICLES   AND    DUST 

There  was  a  little  choke  in  the  child's  voice.  The 
captain  was  mightily  taken  back. 

"Hum!  Yes,  yes,"  he  muttered  hurriedly. 
"  Well,  there  you  are.  Now  you  can  get  along,  can't 
you?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    Shall  I  go  in  that  room?  " 

"  Trot  right  in.  You  might — er — maybe  you 
might  sing  out  when  you're  tucked  up.  I — I'll  want 
to  know  if  you're  got  bedclothes  enough." 

Emily  disappeared  in  the  bedroom.  The  door 
closed.  Captain  Cy,  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  walked 
up  and  down  the  length  of  the  sitting  room.  The 
expression  on  his  face  was  a  queer  one. 

"  I  haven't  got  any  nightgown,"  called  a  voice 
from  the  other  room.  The  captain  gasped. 

"  Good  land !  so  you  ain't,"  he  exclaimed.  "  What 
in  the  world —  Humph !  I  wonder " 

He  went  to  the  lower  drawer  of  a  tall  "  highboy  " 
and,  from  the  tumbled  mass  of  apparel  therein  took 
one  of  his  own  night  garments. 

"  Here's  one,"  he  said,  coming  back  with  it  in  his 
hand.  "  I  guess  you'll  have  to  make  this  do  for  now. 
It'll  fit  you  enough  for  three  times  to  once,  but  it's 
all  I've  got." 

A  small  hand  reached  round  the  edge  of  the  door 
and  the  nightshirt  disappeared.  Captain  Cy  chuckled 
and  resumed  his  pacing. 

''  I'm  tucked  up,"  called  Miss  Thomas.  The  cap 
tain  entered  and  found  her  in  bed,  the  patchwork 

101 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

points  and  diamonds  of  the  "  Rising  Sun  "  quilt  cov 
ering  her  to  the  chin  and  her  head  denting  the  upper 
most  of  the  two  big  pillows.  Captain  Cy  liked  to 
"  sleep  high." 

"  Got  enough  over  you?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir,  thank  you." 

"  That's  good.  I'll  take  your  togs  out  and  dry  'em 
in  the  kitchen.  Don't  be  scared;  I'll  be  right  back." 

In  the  kitchen  he  sorted  the  wet  garments  and  hung 
them  about  the  cook  stove.  It  was  a  strange  occupa 
tion  for  him  and  he  shook  his  head  whimsically  as  he 
completed  it.  Then  he  took  a  flat  iron,  one  of  Mrs. 
Beasley's  purchases,  from  the  shelf  in  the  closet  and 
put  it  in  the  oven  to  heat.  Soon  afterwards  he  re 
turned  to  the  bedroom,  bearing  the  iron  wrapped  in 
a  dish  towel. 

"  My  ma  always  used  to  put  a  hot  flat  to  my  feet 
when  I  was  a  young  one  and  got  chilled,"  he  ex 
plained.  "  I  ain't  used  one  for  some  time,  but  I  guess 
it's  a  good  receipt.  How  do  you  feel  now?  Any 
more  icicles?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I'm  ever  so  warm.  Isn't  this  a  nice 
bed?" 

"  Think  so,  do  you?  Glad  of  it.  Well,  now,  I'm 
goin'  to  leave  you  in  it  while  I  step  down  street  and 
see  about  havin'  your  box  sent  for.  I'll  be  back  in 
a  shake.  If  anybody  comes  to  the  door  while  I'm 
gone' don't  you  worry;  let  'em  go  away  again." 

He  put  on  his  hat  and  left  the  house,  walking  rap- 
102 


ICICLES   AND    DUST 

idly,  his  head  down  and  his  hands  in  his  pockets.  At 
times  he  would  pause  in  his  walk,  whistle,  shake  his 
head,  and  go  on  once  more.  Josiah  Dimick  met  him, 
and  his  answers  to  Josiah's  questions  were  so  vague 
and  irrelevant  that  Captain  Dimick  was  puzzled,  and 
later  expressed  the  opinion  that  "  Whit's  cookin'  must 
be  pretty  bad;  acted  to  me  as  if  he  had  dyspepsy  of 
the  brain." 

Captain  Cy  stopped  at  Mr.  Lumley's  residence  to 
leave  an  order  for  the  delivery  of  the  box.  Then  he 
drifted  into  Simmons's  and  accosted  Alpheus  Smalley. 

"  Al,"  he  said,  "  what's  good  for  a  cold?  " 

"  Why?  "  asked  Mr.  Smalley,  in  true  Yankee  fash 
ion.  "  You  got  one?  " 

"Hey?  Oh,  yes!  Yes,  I've  got  one."  By  way 
of  proof  he  coughed  until  the  lamp  chimneys  rattled 
on  the  shelf. 

"  Judas !  I  should  think  you  had !  Well,  there's 
'  Pine  Bark  Oil '  and  '  Sassafras  Elixir  '  and  two  kinds 
of  sass'p'rilla — that's  good  for  most  everything — 
and —  Is  your  throat  sore?  " 

"  Hey?    Yes,  I  guess  so." 

"Don't  you  know?  If  you've  got  sore  throat 
there  ain't  nothin'  better'n  '  Arabian  Balsam.'  But 
what  in  time  are  you  doin'  out  in  this  drizzle  with 
a  cold  and  no  umbrella?  Do  you  want  to " 

"  Never  mind  my  umbrella.  I  left  it  in  the  church 
entry  t'other  Sunday  and  somebody  got  out  afore  I 
did.  This  '  Arabian  Balsam  ' — seems  to  me  I  re- 

103 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

member  my  ma's  usin'  that  on  me.  Wet  a  rag  with 
it,  don't  you,  and  tie  it  round  your  neck?" 

"  Yup.  Be  sure  and  use  a  flannel  rag,  and  red 
flannel  if  you've  got  it;  that  acts  quicker'n  the  other 
kinds.  Fifteen  cent  bottle?  " 

"  I  guess  so.  Might's  well  give  me  some  sass'- 
p'rilla,  while  you're  about  it;  always  handy  to  have 
in  the  house.  And — er — say,  is  that  canned  soup 
you've  got  up  on  that  shelf?  " 

The  astonished  clerk  admitted  that  it  was. 

"  Well,  give  me  a  can  of  the  chicken  kind." 

Mr.  Smalley,  standing  on  a  chair  to  reach  the  shelf 
where  the  soup  was  kept,  shook  his  head. 

"  Now,  that's  too  bad,  Cap'n,"  he  said,  "  but  we're 
all  out  of  chicken  just  now.  Fact  is,  we  ain't  got 
nothin'  but  termatter  and  beef  broth.  Yes,  and  I 
declare  if  the  termatter  ain't  all  gone." 

"  Humph  !  then  I  guess  I'll  take  the  beef.  Needn't 
mind  wrappin'  it  up.  So  long." 

He  departed  bearing  his  purchases.  When  Mr. 
Simmons,  proprietor  of  the  store,  returned,  Alpheus 
told  him  that  he  "  cal'lated  "  Captain  Cy  Whittaker 
was  preparing  to  "  go  into  a  decline,  or  somethin'." 

"  Anyhow,"  said  Alpheus,  "  he  bought  sass'p'rilla 
and  '  Arabian  Balsam,'  and  I  sold  him  a  can  of  that 
beef  soup  you  bought  three  year  ago  last  summer, 
when  Alicia  Atkins  had  the  chicken  pox." 

The  captain  entered  the  house  quietly  and  tiptoed 
to  the  door  of  the  bedroom.  Emily  was  asleep,  and 

104 


ICICLES    AND    DUST 

the  sight  of  the  childish  head  upon  the  pillow  gave 
him  a  start  as  he  peeped  in  at  it.  It  looked  so  natu 
ral,  almost  as  if  it  belonged  there.  It  had  been  in  a 
bed  like  that  and  in  that  very  room  that  he  had  slept 
when  a  boy. 

Gabe,  brimful  of  curiosity,  brought  the  box  a  little 
later.  His  curiosity  was  ungratified,  Captain  Cyrus 
explaining  that  it  was  a  package  he  had  been  expect 
ing.  The  captain  took  the  box  to  the  bedroom, 
and,  finding  the  child  still  asleep,  deposited  it  on 
the  floor  and  tiptoed  out  again.  He  went  to  the 
kitchen,  poked  up  the  fire,  and  set  about  getting 
dinner. 

He  was  warming  the  beef  broth  in  a  saucepan  on 
the  stove  when  Emily  appeared.  She  was  dressed  in 
dry  clothes  from  the  box  and  seemed  to  be  feeling 
as  good  as  new. 

"Hello!"  exclaimed  Captain  Cy.  "You're  on 
deck  again,  hey?  How's  icicles?" 

"  All  gone,"  was  the  reply.  "  Do  you  do  your 
own  work?  Can't  I  help?  I  can  set  the  table.  I 
used  to  for  Mrs.  Oliver." 

The  captain  protested  that  he  could  do  it  himself 
just  as  well,  but  the  girl  persisting,  he  showed  her 
where  the  dishes  were  kept.  From  the  corner  of  his 
eye  he  watched  her  as  she  unfolded  the  tablecloth. 

"  Is  this  the  only  one  you've  got?  "  she  inquired. 
"  It's  awful  dirty." 

"  Hum !  Yes,  I  ain't  tended  up  to  my  washin' 
105 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

and  ironin'  the  way  I'd  ought  to.  I'll  lose  my  job  if 
I  don't  look  out,  hey?" 

Before  they  sat  down  to  the  meal  Captain  Cy  in 
sisted  that  his  guest  take  a  tablespoonful  of  the  sar- 
saparilla  and  decorate  her  throat  with  a  section  of 
red  flannel  soaked  in  the  '  Arabian  Balsam.'  The 
perfume  of  the  latter  was  penetrating  and  might 
have  interfered  with  a  less  healthy  appetite  than  that 
of  Miss  Thomas. 

"Have  some  soup?  Some  I  bought  purpose  for 
you.  Best  thing  goin'  for  folks  with  icicles,"  re 
marked  the  captain,  waving  the  iron  spoon  he  had 
used  to  stir  the  contents  of  the  saucepan. 

"  Yes,  sir,  thank  you.  But  don't  you  ask  a  bless 
ing?" 

"Hey?" 

"  A  blessing,  you  know.  Saying  that  you're  thank 
ful  for  the  food  now  set  before  us." 

"  Hum !  Why,  to  tell  you  the  truth  I've  kind  of 
neglected  that,  I'm  afraid.  Bein'  thankful  for  the 
grub  I've  had  lately  was  most  too  much  of  a  strain, 
I  shouldn't  wonder." 

"  I  know  the  one  mamma  used  to  say.  Shall  I  ask 
it  for  you  ?  " 

"  Sho!     I  guess  so,  if  you  want  to." 

The  girl  bent  her  head  and  repeated  a  short  grace. 
Captain  Cy  watched  her  curiously. 

"  Now,  I'll  have  some  soup,  please,"  observed  Em 
ily.  "  I'm  awful  hungry.  I  had  breakfast  at  five 

106 


"  '  Excuse  me,   .    .    .   but  don't  you   think  that  plate  had 
better  be  done  over  ? '  ' 

o'clock  this  morning  and  we  didn't  have  a   chance 
to  eat  much." 

A  good  many  times  that  day  the  captain  caught 
himself    wondering   if    he   wasn't    dreaming.      The 

107 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

whole  affair  seemed  too  ridiculous  to  be  an  actual 
experience.  Dinner  over,  he  and  Emmie  attended  to 
the  dishes,  he  washing  and  she  wiping.  And  even  at 
this  early  stage  of  their  acquaintance  her  disposition 
to  take  charge  of  things  was  apparent.  She  found 
fault  with  the  dish  towels;  they  were  almost  as  bad 
as  the  tablecloth,  she  said.  Considering  that  the 
same  set  had  been  in  use  since  Mrs.  Beasley's  depar 
ture,  the  criticism  was  not  altogether  baseless.  But 
the  young  lady  did  not  stop  there — her  companion's 
skill  as  a  washer  was  questioned. 

"  Excuse  me,"  she  said,  "  but  don't  you  think  that 
plate  had  better  be  done  over?  I  guess  you  didn't 
see  that  place  in  the  corner.  Perhaps  you've  forgot 
your  specs.  Auntie  Oliver  couldn't  see  well  without 
her  specs." 

Captain  Cy  grinned  and  admitted  that  a  second 
washing  wouldn't  hurt  the  plate. 

"  I  guess  your  auntie  was  one  of  the  particular 
kind,"  he  said. 

"  No,  sir,  'twas  mamma.  She  couldn't  bear  dirty 
things.  Auntie  used  to  say  that  mamma  hunted  dust 
with  a  magnifying  glass.  She  didn't,  though;  she 
only  liked  to  be  neat.  I  guess  dust  doesn't  worry 
men  so  much  as  it  does  women." 

"Why?" 

"  Oh,  'cause  there's  so  much  of  it  here;  don't  you 
think  so?  I'll  help  you  clean  up  by  and  by,  if  you 
want  to." 

108 


ICICLES    AND    DUST 

"Tow  will?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  used  to  dust  sometimes  when  mamma 
was  out  sewing.  And  once  I  swept,  but  I  did  it 
so  hard  that  auntie  wouldn't  let  me  any  more.  She 
said  'twas  like  trying  to  blow  out  a  match  with  a 
tornado." 

Later  on  he  found  her  standing  in  the  sitting  room, 
critically  inspecting  the  mats,  the  furniture,  and  the 
pictures  on  the  walls.  He  stood  watching  her  for  a 
moment  and  then  asked : 

"Well,  what  are  you  lookin'  for — more  dust? 
'Twon't  be  hard  to  find  it.  *  Dust  thou  art  and  unto 
dust  thou  shalt  return.'  Every  time  I  go  outdoor 
and  come  In  again  I  realize  how  true  that  is." 

Emily  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  sir,"  she  said;  "  I  was  only  looking  at  things 
and  thinking." 

"  Thinkin',  hey?  What  about?  or  is  that  a 
secret?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I  was  thinking  that  this  room  was  dif 
ferent  from  any  I've  ever  seen." 

"  Humph !  Yes,  I  presume  likely  'tis.  Don't  like 
it  very  much,  do  you?  " 

'  Yes,  sir,  I  think  I  do.  It's  got  a  good  many 
things  in  it  that  I  never  saw  before,  but  I  guess  they're 
pretty — after  you  get  used  to  'em." 

Captain  Cy  laughed  aloud.  "  After  you  get  used 
to  'em,  hey?  "  he  repeated. 

'  Yes,  sir.  That's  what  mamma  said  about  Auntie 
109 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Oliver's  new  bonnet  that  she  made  herself.    I — I  was 
thinking  that  you  must  be  peculiar." 

"Peculiar?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  like  peculiar  people.  I'm  peculiar 
myself.  Auntie  used  to  say  I  was  the  most  peculiar 
child  she  ever  saw.  P'raps  that's  why  I  came  to  you. 
P'raps  God  meant  for  peculiar  ones  to  live  together. 
Don't  you  think  maybe  that  was  it?  " 

And  the  captain,  having  no  answer  ready,  said 
nothing. 

That  evening  when  Asaph  and  Bailey,  coming  for 
their  usual  call,  peeped  in  at  the  window,  they  were 
astounded  by  the  tableau  in  the  Whittaker  sitting 
room.  Captain  Cy  was  seated  in  the  rocking  chair 
which  had  been  his  grandfather's.  At  his  feet,  on 
the  walnut  cricket  with  a  haircloth  top,  sat  a  little  girl 
turning  over  the  leaves  of  a  tattered  magazine,  a 
Godey's  Lady's  Book.  A  pile  of  these  magazines 
was  beside  her  on  the  floor.  The  captain  was  smiling 
and  looking  over  her  shoulder.  The  cat  was  curled 
up  in  another  chair.  The  room  looked  more  home 
like  than  it  had  since  its  owner  returned  to  it. 

The  friends  entered  without  knocking.  Captain 
Cy  looked  up,  saw  them,  and  appeared  embarrassed. 

"  Hello,  boys !  "  he  said.  "  Glad  to  see  you. 
Come  right  in.  Clearin'  off  fine,  ain't  it?  " 

Mr.  Tidditt  replied  absently  that  he  wouldn't  be 
surprised  if  it  was.  Bailey,  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
occupant  of  the  cricket,  said  nothing. 

no 


I 


ICICLES    AND    DUST 

"  We — we  didn't  know  you  had  company,  Whit," 
said  Asaph.  '  We  been  np  to  Simmons's  and  Alpheus 
said  you  was  thin  and  peaked  and  looked  sick.  Said 
you  bought  sass'p'rilla  and  all  kind  of  truck.  He 
was  afraid  you  had  fever  and  was  out  of  your  head, 
cruisin'  round  in  the  rain  with  no  umbrella.  The 
gang  weren't  talkin'  of  nothin'  else,  so  me  and  Bailey 
thought  we'd  come  right  down." 

'  That's  kind  of  you,  I'm  sure.  Take  your  things 
off  and  set  down.  No,  I'm  sorry  to  disappoint  Smal- 
ley  and  the  rest,  but  I'm  able  to  be  up  and — er — 
make  my  own  bed,  thank  you.  So  Alpheus  thought 
I  looked  thin,  hey?  Well,  if  I  had  to  live  on 
that  soup  he  sold  me,  I'd  be  thinner'n  I  am  now. 
You  tell  him  that  canned  hot  water  is  all  right 
if  you  like  it,  but  it  seems  a  shame  to  put  mud 
in  it.  It  only  changes  the  color  and  don't  help  the 
taste." 

Mr.  Bangs,  who  was  still  staring  at  Emily,  now 
ventured  a  remark. 

''  Is  that  a  relation  of  yours,  Cy?  "  he  asked. 

"  That?  Oh  !  Well,  no,  not  exactly.  And  yet  I 
don't  know  but  she  is.  Fellers,  this  is  Emmie  Thomas. 
Can't  you  shake  hands,  Emmie?  " 

The  child  rose,  laid  down  the  magazine,  which 
was  open  at  the  colored  picture  of  a  group  of  ladies 
in  crinoline  and  chignons,  and,  going  across  the  room, 
extended  a  hand  to  Mr.  Tidditt. 

"  How  do  you  do,  sir?  "  she  said. 
9  in 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Why — er — how  d'ye  do?  I'm  pretty  smart, 
thank  you.  How's  yourself?  " 

"  I'm  better  now.  I  guess  the  sass'parilla  was 
good  for  me." 

"  'Twan't  the  sass'p'rilla,"  observed  the  captain, 
with  conviction.  "  'Twas  the  '  Arabian  Balsam.' 
Ma  always  cured  ,me  with  it  and  there's  nothin' 
finer." 

"  But  what  in  time—  began  Bailey.  Captain 
Cy  glanced  at  the  child  and  then  at  the  clock. 

"  Don't  you  think  you'd  better  turn  in  now,  Em 
mie?"  he  said  hastily,  cutting  off  the  remainder  of 
the  Bangs  query.  "  It's  after  eight,  and  when  I  was 
little  I  was  abed  afore  that." 

Emily  obediently  turned,  gathered  up  the  Lady's 
Books  and  replaced  them  in  the  closet.  Then  she 
went  to  the  dining  room  and  came  back  with  a  hand 
lamp. 

"  Good  night,"  she  said,  addressing  the  visitors. 
Then,  coming  close  to  the  captain,  she  put  her  face 
up  for  a  kiss. 

"  Good  night,"  she  said  to  him,  adding,  "  I  like  it 
here  ever  so  much.  I'm  awful  glad  you  let  me  stay." 

As  Bailey  told  Asaph  afterwards,  Captain  Cy 
blushed  until  the  ends  of  the  red  lapped  over  at  the 
nape  of  his  neck.  However,  he  bent  and  kissed  the 
rosy  lips  and  then  quickly  brushed  his  own  with  his 
hand. 

'  Yes,   yes,"    he   stammered.      "  Well — er — good 
112 


ICICLES    AND    DUST 
night.      Pleasant   dreams  to  you.     See  you   in  the 


mornin'.' 


The  girl  paused  at  the  chamber  door.  "  You 
won't  have  to  unbutton  my  waist  now,"  she  said. 
"  This  is  my  other  one  and  it  ain't  that  kind." 

The  door  closed.  The  captain,  without  looking  at 
his  friends,  led  the  way  to  the  dining  room. 

"  Come  on  out  here,"  he  whispered.  "  We  can 
talk  better  here." 

Naturally,  they  wanted  to  know  all  about  the  girl, 
who  she  was  and  where  she  came  from.  Captain  Cy 
told  as  much  of  the  history  of  the  affair  as  he  thought 
necessary. 

"  Poor  young  one,"  he  concluded,  "  she  landed  on 
to  me  in  the  rain,  soppin'  wet,  and  ha'f  sick.  I 
couldn't  turn  her  out  then — nobody  could.  Course 
it's  an  everlastin'  outrage  on  me  and  the  cheekiest 
thing  ever  I  heard  of,  but  what  could  I  do?  I  was 
fixed  a  good  deal  like  an  English  feller  by  the  name 
of  Gatenby  that  I  used  to  know  in  South  America. 
He  woke  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  found  a 
boa  constrictor  curled  on  the  foot  of  his  bed.  Next 
day,  when  a  crowd  of  us  happened  in,  there  was 
Gatenby,  white  as  a  sheet,  starin'  down  at  the  snake, 
and  it  sound  asleep.  '  I  didn't  invite  him,'  he  says, 
'  but  he  looked  so  bloomin'  comf'table  I  'adn't  the 
'eart  to  disturb  'im.'  Same  way  with  me;  the  child 
seemed  so  comf'table  here  I  ain't  had  the  heart  to 
disturb  her — yet." 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  But  she  said  she  was  goin'  to  stay,"  put  in  Bailey. 
"  You  ain't  goin'  to  keep  her,  are  you?  " 

The  captain's  indignation  was  intense. 

"  Who — me?  "  he  snorted.  "  What  do  you  think 
I  am?  I  ain't  runnin'  an  orphan  asylum.  No,  sir! 
I'll  keep  the  young  one  a  day  or  so — or  maybe  a  week 
—and  then  I'll  pack  her  off  to  Betsy  Howes.  I  ain't 
so  soft  as  they  think  I  am.  I'll  show  'em  1  " 

Mr.  Tidditt  looked  thoughtful. 

"She's  a  kind  of  cute  little  girl,  ain't  she?"  he 
observed. 

Captain  Cy's  frown  vanished  and  a  smile  took  its 
place. 

"  That's  so,"  he  chuckled.  "  She  is,  now  that's  a 
fact !  I  don't  know's  I  ever  saw  a  cuter." 


CHAPTER    VII 

CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES    DELINQUENT 

AVHEEK  isn't  a  very  long  time  even  in  Bayport. 
True,  there  was  once  a  drummer  for  a  Boston 
"  notion  "  house  who  sprained  his  ankle  on 
the  icy  sidewalk  in  front  of  Simmons's,  and  was  there 
fore  obliged  to  remain  in  the  front  bedroom  of  the 
perfect  boarding  house  for  seven  whole  days.  He  is 
quoted  as  saying  that  next  time  he  hoped  he  might 
break  his  neck. 

"  Brother,"  asked  the  shocked  Rev.  Mr.  Daniels, 
who  was  calling  upon  the  stranger,  "  are  you  pre 
pared  to  face  eternity?  " 

"What?"  was  the  energetic  reply.  "After  a 
week  in  this  town,  and  in  this  bedroom  ?  Look  here, 
Mister,  if  you  want  to  scare  me  about  the  future  you 
just  hint  that  they'll  put  me  on  a  straw  tick  in  an  ice 
chest.  Anything  hot  and  lively  '11  only  be  tempting 
after  this." 

But  to  us,  who  live  here  throughout  the  year,  a 
week  soon  passes.  And  the  end  of  the  week  follow 
ing  Emily  Thomas's  arrival  at  the  Cy  Whittaker 
place  found  the  little  girl  still  there  and  apparently 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

no  nearer  being  shipped  to  Indiana  than  when  she 
came.  Not  so  near,  if  Mr.  Tidditt's  opinion  counts 
for  anything. 

"  Gone?  "  he  repeated  scoffingly  in  reply  to  Bailey 
Bangs's  question.  "  Course  she  ain't  gone !  And, 
what's  more,  she  ain't  goin'  to  go.  Whit's  got  so 
already  that  he  wouldn't  part  with  her  no  more'n 
he'd  cut  off  his  hand." 

"  But  he  keeps  sayin'  she's  got  to  go.  Only  yester 
day  he  was  tellin'  how  Betsy'd  feel  when  the  girl 
landed  on  her  with  his  letter  in  her  pocket." 

"  Sayin'  don't  count  for  nothin'.  Zoeth  Cahoon 
keeps  sayin'  he's  goin'  to  stop  drinkin',  but  he  only 
stops  long  enough  to  catch  his  breath.  Cy's  tellin' 
himself  fairy  yarns  and  he  hopes  he  believes  'em. 
Man  alive!  can't  you  seel  Ain't  he  gettin'  more 
foolish  over  the  young  one  every  day?  Don't  she 
boss  him  round  like  the  overseer  on  a  cranberry 
swamp?  Don't  he  look  more  contented  than  he  has 
sence  he  got  off  the  cars  ?  I  tell  you,  Bailey,  that  child 
fills  a  place  in  Whit's  life  that's  been  runnin'  to  seed 
and  needed  weedin'.  Nothin'  could  fill  it  better — 
unless  'twas  a  nice  wife." 

"  Wife!  Oh,  do  be  still !  I  believe  you're  woman- 
struck  and  at  an  age  when  it  hadn't  ought  to  be 
catchin'  no  more'n  whoopin'  cough." 

Mr.  Bangs  and  the  town  clerk  were  the  only  ones, 
except  Captain  Cy,  who  knew  the  whole  truth  con 
cerning  the  little  girl.  Not  that  the  child's  arrival 

116 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

wasn't  noted  and  vigorously  discussed  by  a  large  por 
tion  of  the  townspeople.  Emily  had  not  been  in  the 
Whittaker  house  two  days  before  Angeline  Phinney 
called,  hot  on  the  trail  of  gossip  and  sensation.  But, 
persistent  as  Angeline  was,  she  departed  knowing  not 
quite  as  much  as  when  she  came.  The  interview  be-  * 
tween  Miss  Phinney  and  the  captain  must  have  been 
interesting,  judging  by  the  lady's  account  of  it. 

"  I  never  see  such  a  man  in  my  born  days,"  de 
clared  Angie  disgustedly.  "  You  couldn't  get  nothin' 
out  of  him.  Not  that  he  wan't  pleasant  and  socia 
ble;  land  sakes!  he  acted  as  glad  to  see  me  as  if  I 
was  his  rich  aunt  come  on  a  visit.  And  he  was  willin' 
to  talk,  too.  That's  the  trouble;  he  done  all  the 
talkin'.  I  happened  to  mention,  just  as  a  sort  of 
starter,  you  know,  somethin'  about  the  cranb'ry  crop 
this  fall;  and  after  that  all  he  could  say  was  4  cran- 
b'ries,  cranb'ries,  cranb'ries !  '  '  Hear  you've  got 
comp'ny,'  says  I.  *  Did  you?  '  says  he.  '  Now  ain't 
it  strange  how  things'll  get  spread  around?  Only 
yesterday  I  heard  that  Joe  Dimick's  swamp  was  just 
loaded  down  with  "  early  blacks."  And  yet  when  I 
went  over  to  look  at  it  there  didn't  seem  to  be  so 
many.  There  ain't  much  better  cranb'ries  anywhere  ( 
than  our  early  blacks,'  he  says.  '  You  take  'em — ' 
And  so  on,  and  so  on,  and  so  on.  /  didn't  care 
nothin'  about  the  dratted  early  blacks,  but  he  didn't 
seem  to  care  for  nothin'  else.  He  talked  cranb'ries 
steady  for  an  hour  and  a  half  and  I  left  that  house 

117 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

with  my  mouth  all  puckered  up;  it's  tasted  sour  ever 
sence.  I  never  see  such  a  man !  " 

When  Captain  Cy  was  questioned  by  Asaph  con 
cerning  the  acid  conversation,  he  grinned. 

"  I  didn't  know  you  was  so  interested  in  cran- 
b'ries,"  observed  Tidditt. 

"  I  ain't,"  was  the  reply;  "  but  I'm  more  interested 
in  'em  than  I  am  in  Angie.  I  see  she  was  sufferin' 
from  a  rush  of  curiosity  to  the  head  and  I  cured  her 
by  homeopath  doses.  Every  time  she  opened  her 
mouth  I  dropped  an  '  early  black  '  into  it.  It's  a  good 
receipt;  you  tell  Bailey  to  try  it  on  Ketury  some  time." 

To  his  chums  the  captain  was  emphatic  in  his  or 
ders  that  secrecy  be  preserved.  No  one  was  to  be 
told  who  the  child  was  or  where  she  came  from. 
"  What  they  don't  know  won't  hurt  'em  any,"  de 
clared  Captain  Cy.  And  Emily's  answer  to  inquiring 
souls  who  would  fain  have  delved  into  her  past  was 
to  the  effect  that  "  Uncle  Cyrus  "  didn't  like  to  have 
her  talk  about  herself. 

"  I  don't  know's  I'm  ashamed  of  anything  I've 
done  so  far,"  said  the  captain;  "  but  I  ain't  braggin', 
either.  Time  enough  to  talk  when  I  send  her  back 
to  Betsy." 

That  time,  apparently,  was  not  in  the  near  future. 
The  girl  stayed  on  at  the  Whittaker  place  and  grew 
to  be  more  and  more  a  part  of  it.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  week  Captain  Cy  began  calling  her  "  Bos'n." 

"  A  bos'n's  a  mighty  handy  man  aboard  ship,"  he 
118 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

explained,  "  and  you're  so  handy  here  that  it  fits  in 
first  rate.  And,  besides,  it  sounds  so  natural.  My 
dad  called  me  '  Bos'n  '  when  I  was  little." 

Emily  accepted  the  title  complacently.  She  was 
quite  contented  to  be  called  almost  anything,  so  long 
as  she  was  permitted  to  stay  with  her  new  friend. 
Already  the  bos'n  had  taken  charge  of  the  deck  and 
the  rest  of  the  ship's  company;  Captain  Cy  and 
"  Lonesome,"  the  cat,  obeyed  her  orders. 

On  the  second  Sunday  morning  after  her  arrival 
"  Bos'n  "  suggested  that  she  and  Captain  Cy  go  to 
church. 

"  Mother  and  I  always  went  at  home,"  she  said. 
"  And  Auntie  Oliver  used  to  say  meeting  was  a  good 
thing  for  those  that  needed  it." 

'Think  I  need  it,  do  you?"  asked  the  captain, 
who,  in  shirt  sleeves  and  slippers,  had  prepared  for 
a  quiet  forenoon  with  his  pipe  and  the  Boston  Tran 
script. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  I  heard  what  you  said  when 
Lonesome  ate  up  the  steak,  and  I  thought  maybe  you 
hadn't  been  for  a  long  time.  I  guess  churches  are 
different  in  South  America." 

So  they  went  to  church  and  sat  in  the  old  Whittaker 
pew.  The  captain  had  been  there  once  before,  when 
he  first  returned  to  Bayport,  but  the  sermon  was  more 
somnolent  than  edifying,  and  he  hadn't  repeated  the 
experiment.  The  pair  attracted  much  attention. 
Fragments  of  a  conversation,  heard  by  Captain  Cy 

119 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

as  they  emerged  into  the  vestibule,  had  momentous 
consequences. 

"Kind  of  a  pretty  child,  ain't  she?"  commented 
Mrs.  Eben  Salters,  patting  her  false  front  into  place 
under  the  eaves  of  her  Sunday  bonnet. 

"  Pretty  enough  in  the  face,"  sniffed  Mrs.  "  Tad  " 
Simpson,  who  was  wearing  her  black  silk  for  the  first 
time  since  its  third  making-over.  "  Pretty  enough  that 
way,  I  s'pose.  But,  my  land !  look  at  the  way  she's 
rigged.  Old  dress,  darned  and  patched  up  and  all 
outgrown!  If  I  had  Cy  Whittaker's  money  I'd  be 
ashamed  to  have  a  relation  of  mine  come  to  meetin' 
that  way.  Even  if  her  folks  was  poorer'n  Job's  off 
ox  I'd  spend  a  little  on  my  own  account  and  trust  to 
getting  it  back  some  time.  I'd  have  more  care  for 
my  own  self-respect.  Look  at  Alicia  Atkins.  See 
how  nice  she  looks.  Them  feathers  on  her  hat  must 
have  cost  somethin',  I  bet  you.  Howdy  do,  'Licia, 
dear?  When's  your  pa  comin'  home?  " 

The  Honorable  Heman  had  left  town  on  a  business 
trip  to  the  South.  Alicia  was  accompanied  by  the 
Atkins  housekeeper  and,  as  usual,  was  garbed  regard 
less  of  expense. 

Mrs.  Salters  smiled  sweetly  upon  the  Atkins  heir 
and  then  added,  in  a  church  whisper:  "  Don't  she 
look  sweet?  I  agree  with  you,  Sarah;  it  is  strange 
how  Captain  Whittaker  lets  his  little  niece  go.  And 
him  rich !  " 

"  Niece?  "  repeated  Mrs.  Simpson  eagerly.  "  Who 
120 


CAPTAIN    CY  PROVES   DELINQUENT 

said  'twas  his  niece?  I  heard  'twas  a  child  he'd 
adopted  out  of  a  home.  There's  all  sorts  of  queer 
yarns  about.  I —  Oh,  good  mornin',  Cap'n  Cyrus! 
How  do  you  do  ?  " 

The  captain  grunted  an  answer  to  the  effect  that 
he  was  bearing  up  pretty  well,  considering.  There 
was  a  scowl  on  his  face,  and  he  spoke  little  as,  hold 
ing  Emily  by  the  hand,  he  led  the  way  home.  That 
evening  he  dropped  in  at  the  perfect  boarding  house 
and  begged  to  know  if  Mrs.  Bangs  had  any  u  fashion 
books  "  around  that  she  didn't  want. 

"  I  mean — er — er — magazines  with  pictures  of 
women's  duds  in  'em,"  he  stammered,  in  explanation. 
"  Bos'n  likes  to  look  at  'em.  She's  great  on  fashion 
books,  Bos'n  is." 

Keturah  got  together  a  half  dozen  numbers  of  the 
Home  Dressmaker  and  other  periodicals  of  a  similar 
nature.  The  captain  took  them  under  his  arm  and 
departed,  whispering  to  Mr.  Tidditt,  as  he  passed  the 
latter  in  the  hall : 

"  Come  up  by  and  by,  Ase.  I  want  to  talk  to  you. 
Bring  Bailey  along,  if  you  can  do  it  without  startin' 
divorce  proceedings." 

Later,  when  the  trio  gathered  in  the  Whittaker 
sitting  room,  Captain  Cy  produced  the  "  fashion 
books  "  and  spoke  concerning  them. 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  "  I — I've  been  thinkin'  that 
Bos'n — Emily,  that  is — wan't  rigged  exactly  the  way 
she  ought  to  be.  Have  you  fellers  noticed  it?  " 

121 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

His  friends  seemed  surprised.  Neither  was  ready 
with  an  immediate  answer,  so  the  captain  went  on. 

"  Course  I  don't  mean  she  ain't  got  canvas  enough 
to  cover  her  spars,"  he  explained;  "  but  what  she  has 
got  has  seen  consider'ble  weather,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  'twas  pretty  nigh  time  to  haul  her  into  dry  dock 
and  refit.  That's  why  I  borrowed  these  magazines 
of  Ketury.  I've  been  lookin'  them  over  and  there 
seems  to  be  plenty  of  riggin'  for  small  craft;  the  only 
thing  is  I  don't  know  what's  the  right  cut  for  her 
build.  Bailey,  you're  a  married  man;  you  ought  to 
know  somethin'  about  women's  clothes.  What  do 
you  think  of  this,  now  ?  " 

He  opened  one  of  the  magazines  and  pointed  to 
the  picture  of  a  young  girl,  with  a  waspy  waist  and 
Lilliputian  feet,  who,  arrayed  in  flounces  and  furbe 
lows,  was  toddling  gingerly  down  a  flight  of  marble 
steps.  She  carried  a  parasol  in  one  hand,  and  the 
other  held  the  end  of  a  chain  to  which  a  long-haired 
dog  was  attached. 

The  town  clerk  and  his  companion  inspected  the 
young  lady  with  deliberation  and  interest. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say?  "  demanded  Captain  Cy. 

"  I  don't  care  much  for  them  kind  of  dogs,"  ob 
served  Asaph  thoughtfully. 

"  Good  land !  you  don't  s'pose  they  heave  the  dog 
in  with  the  clothes,  for  good  measure,  do  you? 
Bailey,  what's  your  opinion?" 

Mr.  Bangs  looked  wise. 
122 


"  '  I  should  say  that  was  a  real   stylish  rig-out.'  ' 

;'  I  should  say — "  he  said,  "  yes,  sir,  I  should  say 
that  was  a  real  stylish  rig-out.  Only  thing  is,  that 
girl  is  consider'ble  less  fleshy  than  Emily.  This  one 
looks  to  me  as  if  she  was  breakin'  in  two  amidships. 
Still,  I  s'pose  likely  the  duds  don't  come  ready  made, 
so  they  could  be  let  out  some,  to  fit.  What's  the  price 
of  a  suit  like  that,  Whit?  " 

123 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  captain  looked  at  the  printed  number  beneath 
the  fashion  plate  and  then  turned  to  the  description 
in  the  text. 

"  '  Afternoon  gown  for  miss  of  sixteen,'  "  he  read. 
"  Humph !  that  settles  that,  first  crack.  Bos'n  ain't 
but  half  of  sixteen." 

"  Anyway,"  put  in  Asaph,  "  you  need  somethin' 
she  could  wear  forenoons,  if  she  wanted  to.  What's 
this  one?  She  looks  young  enough." 

The  u  one  "  referred  to  turned  out  to  be  a  "  coat 
for  child  of  four."  It  was  therefore  scornfully  re 
jected.  One  after  another  the  different  magazines 
were  examined  and  the  pictures  discussed.  At  length 
a  "  costume  for  miss  of  eight  years  "  was  pronounced 
to  be  pretty  nearly  the  thing. 

"  Godfrey  scissors!  "  exclaimed  the  admiring  Mr. 
Tidditt.  "That's  mighty  swell,  ain't  it?  What's 
the  stuff  goes  into  that,  Cy?" 

"  '  Material,  batiste,  trimmed  with  embroidered 
batiste.'  What  in  time  is  batiste?" 

"  I  don't  know.     Do  you,  Bailey?  " 

"  No;  never  heard  of  it.  Ketury  never  had  nothin' 
like  that,  I'm  sure.  French,  I  shouldn't  wonder. 
Well,  Ketury's  down  on  the  French  ever  sence 
she  read  about  Napoleon  leavin'  his  fust  wife  to 
take  up  with  another  woman.  Does  it  say  any 
more?" 

"  Let's  see.  '  Makes  a  beautiful  gown  for  evening 
or  summer  wear.'  Summer!  Why,  by  the  big  dip- 

124 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

per,  we're  aground  again !  Bos'n  don't  want  summer 
clothes.  It's  comin'  on  winter." 

He  threw  the  magazine  on  the  floor,  rubbed  his 
forehead,  and  then  burst  into  a  laugh. 

"  For  goodness  sake,  don't  tell  anybody  about  this 
business,  boys!  "  he  said.  "  I  guess  I  must  be  havin' 
an  early  spring  of  second  childhood.  But  when  I 
heard  those  women  at  the  meetin'  house  goin'  on 
about  how  pretty  'Licia  Atkins  was  got  up  and  how 
mean  and  shabby  Bos'n  looked,  it  made  me  bile. 
And,  by  the  big  dipper,  I  will  show  'em  somethin' 
afore  I  get  through,  too!  Only,  dressin'  little  girls 
is  some  off  my  usual  course.  Bailey,  does  Ketury 
make  her  own  duds?  " 

"  Why,  no !  Course  she  helps  and  stands  by  for 
orders,  but  Effie  Taylor  comes  and  takes  the  wheel 
while  the  riggin's  goin'  on.  Effie's  a  dressmaker 
and " 

'  There !  See,  Ase  ?  It  is  some  good  to  have  a 
married  man  aboard,  after  all.  A  dressmaker's  what 
we  want.  I'll  hunt  up  Effie  to-morrow." 

And  hunt  her  up  he  did,  with  the  result  that  Miss 
Taylor  came  to  the  Whittaker  place  each  day  during 
the  following  week  and  Emily  was,  as  the  captain 
said,  "  rigged  out  fresh  from  main  truck  to  keelson." 
In  this  "  rigging  "  Captain  Cy  and  his  two  partners 
— Josiah  Dimick  had  already  christened  the  pair 
'  The  Board  of  Strategy  " — took  a  marked  interest. 
They  were  on  hand  when  each  new  garment  was 

125 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

tried  on,  and  they  approved  or  criticised  as  seemed 
to  them  best. 

"  Ain't  that  kind  of  sober  lookin'  for  a  young  one 
like  Bos'n?"  asked  the  captain,  referring  to  one  of 
the  new  gowns.  "  I  don't  want  her  to  look  as  if  she 
was  dressed  cheap." 

"  Land  sakes !  "  mumbled  Miss  Taylor,  her  mouth 
full  of  pins.  "  There  ain't  anything  cheap  about  it, 
and  you'll  find  it  out  when  you  get  the  bill.  That's 
a  nice,  rich,  sensible  suit." 

"  I  know,  but  it's  so  everlastin'  quiet !  Don't  you 
think  a  little  yellow  and  black  or  some  red  strung 
along  the  yards  would  sort  of  liven  it  up?  Why! 
you  ought  to  see  them  Greaser  girls  down  in  South 
America  of  a  Sunday  afternoon.  Color!  and  go! 
Jerushy !  they'd  pretty  nigh  knock  your  eye  out." 

The  dressmaker  sniffed  disdain. 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  retorted,  "  if  you  want 
this  child  to  look  like  an  Indian  squaw  or  a  barber's 
pole  you'll  have  to  get  somebody  else  to  do  it.  I'm 
used  to  dressing  Christians,  not  yeller  and  black 
heathen  women.  Red  strung  along  a  skirt  like  that ! 
I  never  did!  " 

"  There,  there,  Effie !  Don't  get  the  barometer 
fallin'.  I  was  only  suggesting  you  know.  What  do 
you  think,  Bos'n?  " 

"  Why,  Uncle  Cyrus,  I  don't  believe  I  should  like 
red  very  much;  nor  the  other  colors,  either.  I  like 
this  just  as  it  is," 

126 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

"So?  Well,  you're  the  doctor.  Maybe  you're 
right.  I  wouldn't  want  you  to  look  like  a  barber's 
pole.  Don't  love  Tad  Simpson  enough  to  want  to 
advertise  his  business." 

Miss  Taylor's  coming  had  other  results  besides  the 
refitting  of  "  Bos'n."  She  found  much  fault  with  the 
captain's  housekeeping.  It  developed  that  her  sister 
Georgiana,  who  had  been  working  in  a  Brockton  shoe 
shop,  was  now  at  home  and  might  be  engaged  to  at 
tend  to  the  household  duties  at  the  Whittaker  estab 
lishment,  provided  she  was  allowed  to  "  go  home 
nights."  Georgiana  was  engaged,  on  trial,  and  did 
well.  So  that  problem  was  solved. 

School  in  Bayport  opens  the  first  week  in  October. 
Of  late  there  has  been  a  movement,  headed  by  some 
of  the  townspeople  who  think  city  ways  are  best,  to 
have  the  term  begin  in  September.  But  this  idea  has 
little  chance  of  success  as  long  as  cranberry  picking 
continues  to  be  our  leading  industry.  So  many  of  the 
children  help  out  the  family  means  by  picking  cran 
berries  in  the  fall  that  school,  until  the  picking  season 
was  over,  would  be  slimly  attended. 

The  last  week  in  September  found  us  all  discussing 
the  coming  of  the  new  downstairs  teacher,  Miss 
Phoebe  Dawes.  Since  it  was  definitely  settled  that 
she  was  to  come,  the  opposition  had  died  down  and 
was  less  openly  expressed;  but  it  was  there,  all  the 
same,  beneath  the  surface.  Congressman  Atkins  had 
accepted  the  surprising  defiance  of  his  wish  with  calm 
10  127 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

dignity  and  the  philosophy  of  the  truly  great  who  arc 
not  troubled  by  trifles.  His  lieutenant,  Tad  Simpson, 
quoted  him  as  saying  that,  of  course,  the  will  of  the 
school  committee  wras  paramount,  and  he,  as  all  good 
citizens  should,  bowed  to  their  verdict.  "  Far  be  it 
from  me,"  so  the  great  man  proclaimed,  "  to  desire 
that  my  opinion  should  carry  more  weight  than  that 
of  the  humblest  of  my  friends  and  neighbors.  Speak 
ing  as  one  whose  knowledge  of  the  world  was,  per 
haps — er — more  extensive  than — er — others,  I  fa 
vored  the  Normal  School  candidate.  But  the  persons 
chosen  to  select  thought — or  appeared  to  think — 
otherwise.  I  therefore  say  nothing  and  await  devel 
opments." 

This  attitude  was  considered  by  most  of  us  to  re 
flect  credit  upon  Mr.  Atkins.  There  were  a  few  scof 
fers,  however.  When  the  proclamation  was  repeated 
to  Captain  Cy  he  smiled. 

"  Alpheus,"  he  said  to  Mr.  Smalley,  his  informant, 
"  you  didn't  use  to  know  Deacon  Zeb  Clark,  who 
lived  up  by  the  salt  works  in  my  granddad's  time, 
hey  ?  No,  course  you  didn't !  Well,  the  deacon  was 
a  great  believer  in  his  own  judgment.  One  time,  it 
bein'  Saturday,  his  wife  wanted  him  to  pump  the 
washtub  full  and  take  a  bath.  He  said,  no;  said 
the  cistern  was  awful  low  and  'twould  use  up  all  the 
water.  She  said  no  such  thing;  there  was  water 
a-plenty.  To  prove  she  was  wrong  he  went  and  pried 
the  cistern  cover  off  to  look,  and  fell  in.  Mrs.  Clark 

128 


CAPTAIN    CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

peeked  down  and  saw  him  there,  standin'  up  to  his 
neck. 

"  4  Tabby,'  says  he,  '  you  would  have  your  way  and 
I'm  takin'  the  bath.  But  you  can  see  for  yourself 
that  we'll  have  to  cart  water  from  now  on.  How 
ever,  /  ain't  responsible ;  throw  me  down  the  soap  and 
towel.'  " 

"  Humph !  "  grunted  Smalley,  "  I  don't  see  what 
that's  got  to  do  with  it.  Heman  ain't  takin'  no  bath." 

"  I  don't  know's  it's  got  anything  to  do  with  it. 
But  he  kind  of  made  me  think  of  Zeb,  all  the  same." 

The  first  day  of  school  was,  of  course,  a  Monday. 
On  Sunday  afternoon  Captain  Cy  and  Bos'n  went  for 
a  walk.  These  walks  had  become  a  regular  part  of 
the  Sabbath  programme,  the  weather,  of  course,  per 
mitting.  After  church  the  pair  came  home  for  din 
ner.  The  meal  being  eaten,  the  captain  would  light 
a  cigar — a  pipe  was  now  hardly  "  dressed-up  "  enough 
for  Sunday — and,  taking  his  small  partner  by  the 
hand,  would  lead  the  way  across  the  fields,  through 
the  pines  and  down  by  the  meadow  "  short  cut"  to 
the  cemetery.  The  cemetery  is  a  favorite  Sabbath 
resort  for  the  natives  of  Bayport,  who  usually  speak 
of  it  as  the  graveyard.  It  is  a  pleasant,  shady  spot, 
and  to  visit  it  is  considered  quite  respectable  and  in 
keeping  with  the  day  and  a  due  regard  for  decorum. 
The  ungodly,  meaning  the  summer  boarders  and  the 
village  no-accounts,  seem  to  prefer  the  beach  and  the 
fish  houses,  but  the  cemetery  attracts  the  churchgoers. 

129 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

One  may  gossip  concerning  the  probable  cost  of  a 
new  tombstone  and  still  remain  faithful  to  the  most 
rigid  creed. 

Captain  Cy  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  religious 
man,  according  to  Bayport  standards.  Between  his 
attendance  to  churchly  duties  and  that  of  the  Hon 
orable  Heman  Atkins  there  was  a  great  gulf  fixed. 
But  he  rather  liked  to  visit  the  graveyard  on  Sunday 
afternoons.  His  mother  had  been  used  to  stroll  there 
with  him,  in  his  boyhood,  and  it  pleased  him  to  follow 
in  her  footsteps. 

So  he  and  Bos'n  walked  along  the  grass-covered 
paths,  between  the  iron-fenced  "  lots  "  of  the  well- 
to-do  and  the  humble  mounds  and  simple  slabs  where 
the  poor  were  sleeping;  past  the  sumptuous  granite 
shaft  of  the  Atkins  lot  and  the  tilted  mossy  stone 
which  told  how  "  Edwin  Simpson,  our  only  son,"  had 
been  "accidentally  shot  in  the  West  Indies";  out 
through  the  back  gate  and  up  the  hill  to  the  pine 
grove  overlooking  the  bay.  Here,  on  a  scented  car 
pet  of  pine  needles,  they  sat  them  down  to  rest  and 
chat. 

Emily,  her  small  knees  drawn  up  and  encircled  by 
her  arms,  looked  out  across  the  flats,  now  half  covered 
with  the  rising  tide.  It  was  a  mild  day,  more  like 
August  than  October,  and  there  was  almost  no  wind. 
The  sun  was  shining  on  the  shallow  water,  and  the 
sand  beneath  it  showed  yellow,  checkered  and  mar 
bled  with  dark  green  streaks  and  patches  where  the 

130 


CAPTAIN   CY  PROVES  DELINQUENT 

weed-bordered  channels  wound  tortuously.  On  the 
horizon  the  sand  hills  of  Wellmouth  notched  the  blue 
sky.  The  girl  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Oh  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Isn't  this  just  lovely!  I 
do  like  the  sea  an  awful  lot." 

"  That's  natural  enough,"  replied  her  companion. 
"  There's  a  big  streak  of  salt  water  in  your  blood 
on  your  ma's  side.  It  pulls,  that  kind  of  a  streak 
does.  There's  days  when  I  feel  uneasy  every  minute 
and  hanker  for  a  deck  underneath  me.  The  settin' 
room  floor  stays  altogether  too  quiet  on  a  day  like 
that;  I'd  like  to  feel  it  heavin'  over  a  ground  swell. 

"  Say,  Bos'n,"  he  said  a  few  minutes  later;  "  I've 
been  thinkin'  about  you.  You've  been  to  school, 
haven't  you?  " 

"  Course  I  have,"  was  the  rather  indignant  answer. 
:'  I  went  two  years  in  Concord.  Mamma  used  to  help 
me  nights,  too.  I  can  read  almost  all  the  little  words. 
Don't  I  help  you  read  your  paper  'most  every  night?  " 

"  Sartin  you  do !  Yes,  yes !  Well,  our  school  opens 
to-morrer  and  I've  been  thinkin'  that  maybe  you'd 
better  go.  There's  a  new  teacher  comin',  and  I  hear 
she's  pretty  good." 

"  Don't  you  know!  Why,  Mr.  Tidditt  said  you 
was  the  one  that  got  her  to  come  here !  " 

'Yes;  well,  Asaph  says  'most  everything  but  his 
prayers.  Still,  he  ain't  fur  off  this  time;  I  cal'late  I 
was  some  responsible  for  her  bein'  voted  in.  Yet  I 
don't  really  know  anything  about  her.  You  see,  I — 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

well,  never  mind.  What  do  you  think?  Want  to 
go?" 

Bos'n  looked  troubled. 

"  I'd  like  to,"  she  said.  "  Course  I  want  to  learn 
how  to  read  the  big  words,  too.  But  I  like  to  stay 
at  home  with  you  more." 

"  You  do,  hey?  Sho,  sho!  Well,  I  guess  I  can 
get  along  between  times.  Georgiana's  there  to  keep 
me  straight  and  she'll  see  to  the  dust  and  the  dishes. 
I  guess  you'd  better  go  to-morrer  mornin'  and  see  how 
you  like  it,  anyhow." 

The  child  thought  for  a  moment. 

"  I  think  you're  awful  good,"  she  said.  "  I  like 
you  next  to  mamma ;  even  better  than  Auntie  Oliver. 
I  printed  a  letter  to  her  the  other  day.  I  told  her  you 
were  better  than  we  expected  and  I  had  decided  to 
live  with  you  always." 

Captain  Cy  was  startled.  Considering  that,  only 
the  day  before,  he  had  repeated  to  Bailey  the  declara 
tion  that  the  arrangement  was  but  temporary,  and 
that  Betsy  Howes  was  escaping  responsibility  only  for 
a  month  or  so,  he  scarcely  knew  what  to  say. 

"Humph!"  he  grunted.  "You've  decided  it, 
have  you?  Well,  we'll  see.  Now  you  trot  around 
and  have  a  good  time.  I'm  goin'  to  have  another 
smoke.  I'll  be  here  when  you  get  back." 

Bos'n  wandered  off  in  search  of  late  golden  rod. 
The  captain  smoked  and  meditated.  By  and  by  the 
puffs  were  less  frequent  and  the  cigar  went  out.  It 

132 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

fell  from  his  fingers.  With  his  back  against  a  pine 
tree  Captain  Cy  dozed  peacefully. 

He  awoke  with  a  jump.  Something  had  awakened 
him,  but  he  did  not  know  what.  He  blinked  and 
gazed  about  him.  Then  he  heard  a  faint  scream. 

"  Uncle !  "  screamed  Bos'n.  "  O— o— o— h ! 
Uncle  Cyrus,  help  me!  Come  quick!  " 

The  next  moment  the  captain  was  plunging  through 
the  scrub  of  huckleberry  and  bayberry  bushes,  bump 
ing  into  pines  and  smashing  the  branches  aside  as  he 
ran  in  the  direction  of  the  call. 

Back  of  the  pine  grove  was  a  big  inclosed  pasture 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long.  Its  rear  boundary 
was  the  iron  fence  of  the  cemetery.  The  other  three 
sides  were  marked  by  rail  fences  and  a  stone  wall. 
As  the  captain  floundered  from  the  grove  and  vaulted 
the  rail  fence  he  swore  aloud. 

"  By  the  big  dipper,"  he  groaned,  "  it's  that  cussed 
heifer!  I  forgot  her.  Keep  dodgin',  Bos'n  girl! 
I'm  comin'." 

The  pasture  was  tenanted  by  a  red  and  white  cow 
belonging  to  Sylvanus  Cahoon.  Whether  or  not  the 
animal  had,  during  her  calfhood  days,  been  injured 
by  a  woman  is  not  known ;  possibly  her  behavior  was 
due  merely  to  innate  depravity.  At  any  rate,  she 
cherished  a  mortal  hatred  toward  human  beings  of 
her  own  sex.  With  men  and  boys  she  was  meek 
enough,  but  no  person  wearing  skirts,  and  alone, 
might  venture  in  that  field  without  being  chased  by 

133 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

that  cow.  What  would  happen  if  the  pursued  one 
was  caught  could  only  be  surmised,  for,  so  far,  no 
female  had  permitted  herself  to  be  caught.  Few 
would  come  even  so  near  as  the  other  side  of  the  pas 
ture  walls. 

Bos'n  had  forgotten  the  cow.  She  had  gone  from 
one  golden-rod  clump  to  another  until  she  had  tra 
versed  nearly  the  length  of  the  field.  Then  the  vicious 
creature  had  appeared  from  behind  a  knoll  in  the 
pasture  and,  head  down  and  bellowing  wickedly,  had 
rushed  upon  her.  When  the  captain  reached  the  far- 
off  fence,  the  little  girl  was  dodging  from  one  dwarf 
pine  to  the  next,  with  the  cow  in  pursuit.  The  pines 
were  few  and  Bos'n  was  nearly  at  the  end  of  her 
defenses. 

"  Help !  "  she  screamed.  "  Oh,  uncle,  where  are 
you?  What  shall  I  do?" 

Captain  Cy  roared  in  answer. 

"  Keep  it  up !"  he  yelled.  "  I'm  a-comin' !  Shoo! 
you  everlastin'  critter!  I'll  break  your  back  for 
you!" 

The  cow  didn't  understand  English  it  seemed,  even 
such  vigorous  English  as  the  captain  was  using.  Em 
ily  dodged  to  the  last  pine.  The  animal  was  close 
upon  her.  Her  rescuer  was  still  far  away. 

And  then  the  cemetery  gate  opened  and  another 
person  entered  the  pasture.  A  small  person — a  wom 
an.  She  said  nothing,  but  picking  up  her  skirts,  ran 
straight  toward  the  cow,  heedless  of  the  latter's  repu- 

134 


T3 
O 


S 
o 

JZ 

o 

o 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

tation  and  vicious  appearance.  One  hand  clutched 
the  gathered  skirts.  In  the  other  she  held  a  book. 

"  Don't  be  scared,  dear,"  she  called  reassuringly. 
Then  to  the  cow :  "  Stop  it  I  Go  away,  you  wicked 
thing!" 

The  animal  heard  the  voice  and  turned.  Seeing 
that  the  newcomer  was  only  a  woman,  she  lowered 
her  head  and  pawed  the  ground. 

"  Run  for  the  gate,  little  girl,"  commanded  the 
rescuer.  "  Run  quick!  "  Bos'n  obeyed.  She  made 
a  desperate  dash  from  her  pine  across  the  open  space, 
and  in  another  moment  was  safe  inside  the  cemetery 
fence. 

"  Scat!  Go  home!  "  ordered  the  lady,  advancing 
toward  the  cow  and  shaking  the  book  at  her,  as  if 
the  volume  was  some  sort  of  deadly  weapon.  "  Aren't 
you  ashamed  of  yourself!  Go  away!  You  needn't 
growl  at  me  !  I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  of  you." 

The  "  growling  "  was  the  muttered  bellow  with 
which  the  cow  was  wont  to  terrorize  her  feminine 
victims.  But  this  victim  refused  to  be  terrorized. 
Instead  of  screaming  and  running  she  continued  to 
advance,  brandishing  the  book  and  repeating  her  or 
ders  that  the  creature  "  go  home  "  at  once.  The  cow 
did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  Before  she  could 
decide  whether  to  charge  or  retreat,  a  good-sized  stick 
descended  upon  her  back  with  a  "  whack  "  that  set 
tled  the  question.  Captain  Cy  had  reached  the  scene 
of  battle. 

135 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Then  the  rescuer's  courage  seemed  to  desert  her, 
for  she  ran  back  to  the  cemetery  even  faster  than  she 
had  run  from  it.  When  the  indignant  captain,  hav 
ing  pursued  and  chastised  the  cow  until  the  stick  was 
but  a  splintered  remnant,  reached  the  haven  behind 
the  iron  fence,  he  found  her  soothing  the  frightened 
Bos'n  who  was  sobbing  and  hysterical. 

Emily  saw  her  "  Uncle  Cyrus  "  coming  and  rushed 
into  his  arms.  He  picked  her  up  and,  holding  her 
with  a  grip  which  testified  to  the  nerve  strain  he  had 
been  under,  stepped  forward  to  meet  the  stranger, 
whose  coming  had  been  so  opportune. 

And  she  was  a  stranger.  The  captain  knew  most 
of  Bayport's  inhabitants  by  this  time,  or  thought  he 
did,  but  he  did  not  know  her.  She  was  a  small 
woman,  quietly  dressed,  and  her  hair,  under  a  neat 
black  and  white  hat,  was  brown.  The  hat  was  now 
a  trifle  to  one  side  and  the  hair  was  the  least  bit  dis 
arranged,  an  effect  not  at  all  unbecoming.  She  was 
tucking  in  the  stray  wisps  as  the  captain,  with  Bos'n 
in  his  arms,  came  up. 

"Well,  ma'am!"  puffed  Captain  Cy.  "  Well, 
ma'am !  I  must  say  that  was  the  slickest,  pluckiest 
thing  ever  I  saw  anywheres.  I  don't  know  what 
would — I — I  declare  I  don't  know  how  to  thank 
you." 

The  lady  looked  at  him  a  moment  before  replying. 
Then  she  began  to  laugh,  a  jolly  laugh  that  was 
pleasant  to  hear. 

136 


CAPTAIN   CY  PROVES  DELINQUENT 

"  Don't  try,  please,"  she  said  chokingly.  "  It 
wasn't  anything.  Oh,  mercy  me !  I'm  all  out  of 
breath.  You  see,  I  had  been  warned  about  that  cow 
when  I  started  to  walk  this  afternoon.  So  when  I 
saw  her  chasing  your  poor  little  girl  here  I  knew 
right  away  what  was  the  matter.  It  must  have  been 
foolish  enough  to  look  at.  I'm  used  to  dogs  and 
cats,  but  I  haven't  had  many  pet  cows.  I  told  her 
to  '  go  home  '  and  to  '  scat '  and  all  sorts  of  things. 
Wonder  I  didn't  tell  her  to  lie  down !  And  the  way 
I  shook  that  ridiculous  book  at  her  was " 

She  laughed  again  and  the  captain  and  Bos'n  joined 
in  the  laugh,  in  spite  of  the  fright  they  both  had 
experienced., 

"  That  book  was  dry  enough  to  frighten  almost 
anything,"  continued  the  lady.  "  It  was  one  I  took 
from  the  table  before  I  left  the  place  where  I'm  stay 
ing,  and  a  duller  collection  of  sermons  I  never  saw. 
Oh,  dear !  .  .  .  there  1  Is  my  hat  any  more  respect 
able  now?  " 

'  Yes'm.  It's  about  on  an  even  keel,  I  should  say. 
But  I  must  tell  you,  ma'am,  you  done  simply  great 
pnd " 

"  Seems  to  me  the  people  who  own  that  cow  must 
be  a  poor  set  to  let  her  make  such  a  nuisance  of  her 
self.  Did  your  daughter  run  away  from  you?  " 

'  Well,  you  see,  ma'am,  she  ain't  really  my  daugh 
ter.  Bos'n  here — that's  my  nickname  for  her,  ma'am 
— she  and  I  was  out  walkin'.  I  set  down  in  the  pines 

137 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

and  I  guess  I  must  have  dozed  off.  Anyhow,  when 
I  woke  up  she  was  gone,  and  the  first  thing  I  knew 
of  this  scrape  was  hearin'  her  hail." 

The  little  woman's  manner  changed.  Her  gray 
eyes  flashed  indignantly. 

"  You  dozed  off?  "  she  repeated.  "  With  a  little 
girl  in  your  charge,  and  in  the  very  next  lot  to  that 
cow?  Didn't  you  know  the  creature  chased  women 
and  girls?  " 

"  Why,  yes;  I'd  heard  of  it,  but " 

"  It  wasn't  Uncle  Cyrus's  fault,"  put  in  Bos'n 
eagerly.  "  It  was  mine.  I  went  away  by  myself." 

Beyond  shifting  her  gaze  to  the  child  the  lady  paid 
no  attention  to  this  remark. 

"  What  do  you  think  her  mother  '11  say  when  she 
sees  that  dress?"  she  asked. 

It  was  Emily's  best  gown,  the  finest  of  the  new 
"  rig  out  "  prepared  by  Miss  Taylor.  The  girl  and 
Captain  Cy  gazed  ruefully  at  the  rents  and  pitch 
stains  made  by  the  vines  and  pine  trees. 

"  Well,  you  see,"  replied  the  abashed  captain,  "  the 
fact  is,  she  ain't  got  any  mother." 

"Oh!  I  beg  your  pardon.  And  hers,  too,  poor 
dear.  Well,  if  I  were  you  I  shouldn't  go  to  sleep 
next  time  I  took  her  walking.  Good  afternoon." 

She  turned  and  calmly  walked  down  the  path.  At 
the  bend  she  spoke  again. 

"  I  should  be  gentle  with  her,  if  I  were  you,"  she 
said.  "  Her  nerves  are  pretty  well  upset.  Besides, 

138 


CAPTAIN   CY   PROVES   DELINQUENT 

if  you'll  excuse  my  saying  so,  I  don't  think  she  is  the 
one  that  needs  scolding." 

They  thought  she  had  gone,  but  she  turned  once 
more  to  add  a  final  suggestion. 

"  I  think  that  dress  could  be  fixed,"  she  said,  "  if 
you  took  it  to  some  one  who  knew  about  such  things." 

She  disappeared  amidst  the  graveyard  shrubbery. 
Captain  Cy  and  Bos'n  slowly  followed  her.  From  the 
pasture  the  red  and  white  cow  sent  after  them  a 
broken-spirited  "  Moo  I  " 

Bos'n  was  highly  indignant.  During  the  home 
ward  walk  she  sputtered  like  a  damp  firecracker. 

"  The  idea  of  her  talking  so  to  you,  Uncle  Cyrus  I  " 
she  exclaimed.  "  It  wasn't  your  fault  at  all." 

The  captain  smiled  one-sidedly. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  shipmate,"  he  said.  "  I 
wouldn't  wonder  if  she  was  more  than  half  right. 
But  say!  she  was  all  business  and  no  frills,  wasn't 
she !  Ha,  ha !  How  she  did  spunk  up  to  that  heifer ! 
Who  in  the  dickens  do  you  cal'late  she  is?  " 


CHAPTER    VIII 

THE    "  COW    LADY  " 

THAT  question  was  answered  the  very  next 
day.  Bos'n,  carefully  dressed  by  Georgi- 
anna  under  the  captain's  supervision,  and 
weighted  down  with  advice  and  counsel  from  the  lat 
ter,  started  for  the  schoolhouse  at  a  quarter  to  nine. 
Only  a  sense  of  shame  kept  Captain  Cy  from  walking 
to  school  with  her.  He  spent  a  miserable  forenoon. 
They  were  quite  the  longest  three  hours  in  his  varied 
experience.  The  house  was  dreadfully  lonely.  He 
wandered  from  kitchen  to  sitting  room,  worried 
Georgianna,  woke  up  the  cat,  and  made  a  complete 
nuisance  of  himself.  Twelve  o'clock  found  him  lean 
ing  over  the  gate  and  looking  eagerly  in  the  direction 
of  the  schoolhouse. 

Bos'n  ran  all  the  way  home.  She  was  in  a  high 
state  of  excitement. 

"What  do  you  think,  Uncle  Cyrus?"  she  cried. 
"  What  do  you  think?  I've  found  out  who  the  cow 
lady  is!" 

"  The  cow  lady  ?  Oh,  yes,  yes !  Have  you  ?  Who 
is  she?" 

140 


THE    "COW    LADY' 

"  She's  teacher,  that's  who  she  is!  " 

The  captain  was  astonished. 

"No!"  he  exclaimed.  "Phoebe  Dawes?  You 
don't  say  so !  Well,  well !  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  When  I  went  into  school  and  found 
her  sitting  there  I  was  so  surprised  I  didn't  know 
what  to  do.  She  knew  me,  too,  and  said  good  morn 
ing,  and  was  I  all  right  again  and  was  my  dress  really 
as  bad  as  it  looked  to  be  ?  I  told  her  that  Georgianna 
thought  she  could  fix  it,  and  if  she  couldn't,  her  sister 
could.  She  said  that  was  nice,  and  then  'twas  time 
for  school  to  begin." 

"  Did  she  say  anything  about  me?  "  inquired  Cap 
tain  Cy  when  they  were  seated  at  the  dinner  table. 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  forgot.  She  must  have  found  out 
who  you  are,  'cause  she  said  she  was  surprised  that  a 
man  who  had  made  his  money  out  of  hides  should 
have  been  so  careless  about  the  creatures  that  wore 
'em." 

;'  Humph !  How'd  she  get  along  with  the  young 
ones  in  school?  " 

It  appeared  that  she  had  gotten  along  very  well 
with  them.  Some  of  the  bigger  boys  in  the  back 
seats,  cherishing  pleasant  memories  of  the  "  fun  " 
they  had  under  Miss  Seabury's  easy-going  rule,  at 
tempted  to  repeat  their  performances  of  the  previous 
term.  But  the  very  first  "  spitball  "  which  spattered 
upon  the  blackboard  proved  a  disastrous  missile  for 
its  thrower. 

11  141 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

"  She  made  him  clean  the  board,"  proclaimed 
Bos'n,  big-eyed  and  awestruck,  "  and  then  he  had  to 
stand  in  the  corner.  He  was  Bennie  Edwards,  and 
he's  most  thirteen.  Miss  Seabury,  they  said,  couldn't 
do  anything  with  him,  but  teacher  said  '  Go,'  as 
quiet  as  could  be  and  just  looked  at  him,  and  he 
went.  And  he's  most  as  tall  as  she  is.  He  did  look 
so  silly !  " 

The  Edwards  youth  was  not  the  only  one  who  was 
made  to  "  look  silly  "  by  little  Miss  Dawes  during 
the  first  days  of  her  stay  in  Bayport.  She  dealt  with 
the  unruly  members  of  her  classes  as  bravely  as  she 
had  faced  the  Cahoon  cow,  and  the  results  were  just 
as  satisfactory.  She  was  strict,  but  she  was  impar 
tial,  and  Alicia  Atkins  found,  to  her  great  surprise, 
that  the  daughter  of  a  congressman  was  expected  to 
study  as  faithfully  and  behave  herself  as  well  as 
freckled-faced  Noah  Hamlin,  whose  father  peddled 
fish  and  whose  everyday  costume  was  a  checkered 
"  jumper  "  and  patched  overalls. 

The  school  committee,  that  is,  the  majority  of  it, 
was  delighted  with  the  new  teacher.  Lemuel  Myrick 
boasted  loudly  of  his  good  judgment  in  voting  for 
her.  But  Tad  Simpson  and  Darius  Ellis  and  others 
of  the  Atkins  following  still  scoffed  and  hinted  at 
trouble  in  the  future. 

"  A  new  broom  sweeps  fine,"  quoted  Mr.  Simp 
son.  "  She's  doin'  all  right  now,  maybe.  Anyway, 
the  young  ones  are  behavin'  themselves,  but 

142 


THE    "COW    LADY' 

line  ain't  the  whole  thing.  Heman  told  me  that  the 
teacher  he  wanted  could  talk  French  language  and 
play  music  and  all  kinds  of  accomplishments.  Phoebe 
— not  findin'  any  fault  with  her,  you  understand — 
don't  know  no  more  about  music  than  a  hen;  my  wife 
says  she  don't  even  sing  in  church  loud  enough  for 
anybody  to  hear  her.  And  as  for  French !  why  every 
body  knows  she  uses  the  commonest  sort  of  United 
States,  just  as  easy  to  understand  as  what  I'm  sayin' 
now." 

Miss  Dawes  boarded  at  the  perfect  boarding  house. 
There  opinion  was  divided  concerning  her.  Bailey 
and  Mr.  Tidditt  liked  her,  but  the  feminine  boarders 
were  not  so  favorably  impressed. 

"  I  think  she's  altogether  too  pert  about  what  don't 
concern  her,"  commented  Angeline  Phinney.  "  Sarah 
Emma  Simpson  dropped  in  t'other  day  to  dinner,  and 
we  church  folks  got  to  talkin'  about  the  minister's 
preachin'  such  '  advanced '  sermons.  And  Sarah 
Emma  told  how  she'd  heard  he  said  he'd  known 
some  real  moral  Universalists  in  his  time,  or  some 
such  unreligious  foolishness.  And  I  said  I  wondered 
he  didn't  get  a  new  tail  coat;  the  one  he  preached 
in  Sundays  was  old  as  the  hills  and  so  outgrown  it 
wouldn't  scurcely  button  acrost  him.  *  A  man  bein' 
paid  nine  hundred  a  year,'  I  says,  '  ought  to  dress 
decent,  anyhow.'  And  that  Phoebe  Dawes  speaks  up, 
without  bein'  asked,  and  says  for  her  part  she'd  ruther 
hear  a  broad  man  in  a  narrer  coat  than  t'other  way 

143 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

about.    'Twas  a  regular  slap  in  the  face  for  me,  and 
Sarah  Emma  and  I  ain't  got  over  it  yet." 

Captain  Cy  heard  the  gossip  concerning  the  new 
teacher  and  it  rather  pleased  him.  She  appeared  to 
be  independent,  and  he  liked  independence.  He  met 
her  once  or  twice  on  the  street,  but  she  merely  bowed 
and  passed  on.  Once  he  tried  to  thank  her  again 
for  her  part  in  the  cow  episode,  but  she  would  not 
listen  to  him. 

Bos'n  was  making  good  progress  with  her  studies. 
She  was  naturally  a  bright  child — not  the  marvel  the 
captain  and  the  "  Board  of  Strategy "  considered 
her,  but  quick  to  learn.  She  was  not  a  saint,  how 
ever,  and  occasionally  misbehaved  in  school  and  was 
punished  for  it.  One  afternoon  she  did  not  return 
at  her  usual  hour.  Captain  Cy  was  waiting  at  the 
gate  when  Asaph  Tidditt  happened  along.  Bailey, 
too,  was  with  him. 

14  Waitin'  for  Bos'n,  was  you?"  asked  the  town 
clerk.  "  Well,  you'll  have  to  wait  quite  a  spell,  I 
cul'late.  She's  been  kept  after  school." 

"  Yes;  and  she's  got  to  write  fifty  lines  of  copy," 
added  Bailey. 

Captain  Cy  was  highly  indignant. 

"  Get  out!  "  he  cried.     "  She  ain't  neither." 

'  Yes,  she  has,  too.  One  of  the  Salters  young  ones 
told  me.  I  knew  you'd  be  mad,  though  I  s'pose  folks 
that  didn't  know  her's  well's  we  do  would  say  she's 
no  different  from  other  children." 

144 


THE    "COW   LADY' 

This  was  close  to  heresy,  according  to  the  captain's 
opinion. 

"  She  ain't!  "  he  cried.  "  I'd  like  to  know  why 
not!  If  she  ain't  twice  as  smart  as  the  run  of  young 
ones  'round  here  then —  Humph!  And  she's  kept 
after  school!  Well,  now;  I  won't  have  it!  There's 
enough  time  for  studyin'  without  wearin'  out  her 
brains  after  hours.  Oh,  I  guess  you're  mistaken." 

"  No,  we  ain't.  I  tell  you,  Whit,  if  I  was  you  I'd 
make  a  fuss  about  this.  She's  a  smart  child,  Bos'n 
is;  I  never  see  a  smarter.  And  she  ain't  any  too 
strong." 

"That's  so,  she  ain't."  The  idea  that  Emily's 
health  was  "  delicate  "  had  become  a  fixed  fact  in 
the  minds  of  the  captain  and  the  "  Board."  It  made 
a  good  excuse  for  the  systematic  process  of  "  spoil 
ing  "  the  girl,  which  the  indulgent  three  were  doing 
their  best  to  carry  on. 

"  I  wouldn't  let  her  be  kept,  Cy,"  urged  Bailey. 
"  Why  don't  you  go  right  off  and  see  Phoebe  and 
settle  this  thing?  You've  got  a  right  to  talk  to  her. 
She  wouldn't  be  teacher  if  it  wasn't  for  you." 

Asaph  added  his  arguments  to  those  of  Mr.  Bangs,  ' 
Captain  Cy,  carried  away  by  his  firm  belief  that  Bos'n  v 
was  a  paragon  of  all  that  was  brilliant  and  good, 
finally  yielded. 

"  All  right!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Come  on!  That 
poor  little  thing  shan't  be  put  upon  by  nobody." 

The  trio  marched  majestically  down  the  hill.    As 

145 


they  neared  the  schoolhouse  Bailey's  courage  began 
to  fail.  Miss  Dawes  was  a  boarder  at  his  house,  and 
he  feared  consequences  should  Keturah  learn  of  his 
interference. 

"  I — I  guess  you  don't  need  me,"  he  stammered. 
'  The  three  of  us  '11  scare  that  teacher  woman  most 
to  death.  And  she's  so  little  and  meek,  you  know. 
If  I  should  lose  my  temper  and  rare  up  I  might  say 
somethin'  that  would  hurt  her  feelin's.  I'll  set  on  the 
fence  and  wait  for  you  and  Ase,  Whit." 

Mr.  Tidditt's  scornful  comments  concerning  "white 
feathers  "  and  "  backsliders  "  had  no  effect.  Mr. 
Bangs  perched  himself  on  the  fence. 

"Give  it  to  her,  fellers!"  he  called  after  them. 
"Talk  Dutch  to  her!  Let  her  know  that  there's 
one  child  she  can't  abuse." 

At  the  foot  of  the  steps  Asaph  paused. 

"  Say,  Cy,"  he  whispered,  "  don't  you  think  I  bet 
ter  not  go  in  ?  It  ain't  really  my  business,  you  know, 
and — and —  Well,  I'm  on  the  s'lectmen  and  she 
might  be  frightened  if  she  see  me  pouncin'  down  on 
her.  'Tain't  as  if  I  was  just  a  common  man.  I'll 
go  and  set  along  of  Bailey  and  you  go  in  and 
talk  quiet  to  her.  She'd  feel  so  sort  of  ashamed 
if  there  was  anyone  else  to  hear  the  rakin'  over — 
hey?" 

"  Now,  see  here,  Ase,"  expostulated  the  captain, 
"I  don't  like  to  do  this  all  by  myself!  Besides, 
'twas  you  chaps  put  me  up  to  it.  You  ain't  goin' 

146 


THE    "COW    LADY' 

to  pull  out  of  the  race  and  leave  me  to  go  over 
the  course  alone,  are  you  ?  Come  on !  what  are  you 
afraid  of?" 

His  companion  hotly  denied  that  he  was  "  afraid  " 
of  anything.  He  had  all  sorts  of  arguments  to  back 
his  decision.  At  last  Captain  Cy  lost  patience. 

"  Well,  be  a  skulk,  if  you  want  to !  "  he  declared. 
"  I've  set  out  to  see  this  thing  through,  and  I'm  goin' 
to  do  it.  Only,"  he  muttered,  as  he  entered  the  down 
stairs  vestibule,  "  I  wish  I  didn't  feel  quite  so  much 
as  if  I  was  stealin'  hens'  eggs." 

Miss  Dawes  herself  opened  the  door  in  response 
to  his  knock. 

"  Oh,  it's  you,  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  said. 
"  Come  in,  please." 

Captain  Cy  entered  the  schoolroom.  It  was  empty, 
save  for  the  teacher  and  himself  and  one  little  girl, 
who,  seated  at  a  desk,  was  writing  busily.  She  looked 
up  and  blushed  a  vivid  red.  The  little  girl  was  Bos'n. 

"  Sit  down,  Cap'n,"  said  Miss  Phoebe,  indicating 
the  visitor's  chair.  "  What  was  it  you  wanted  to  see 
me  about?  " 

The  captain  accepted  the  invitation  to  be  seated, 
but  he  did  not  immediately  reply  to  Miss  Dawes's 
question.  He  dropped  his  hat  on  the  floor,  crossed 
his  legs,  uncrossed  them,  and  then  observed  that  it 
was  pretty  summery  weather  for  so  late  in  the  fall. 
The  teacher  admitted  the  truth  of  his  assertion  and 
waited  for  him  to  continue. 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  I — I  s'pose  school's  pretty  full,  now  that  cran- 
b'ryin'  's  over,"  said  Captain  Cy. 

"  Yes,  pretty  full." 

"  Gettin'  along  first  rate  with  the  scholars,  I  hear." 

"  Yes." 

This  was  a  most  unpromising  beginning,  really  no 
beginning  at  all.  The  captain  cleared  his  throat,  set 
his  teeth,  and,  without  looking  at  his  companion,  dove 
headlong  into  the  business  which  had  brought  him 
there. 

"  Miss  Dawes,"  he  said,  "  I — I  s'pose  you  know 
that  Bos'n — I  mean  Emily  there — is  livin'  at  my 
house  and  that  I'm  taking  care  of  her  for — for  the 
present." 

The  lady  smiled. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  u  I  gathered  as  much  from  what 
you  said  when  we  first  met." 

She  herself  had  said  one  or  two  things  on  that 
occasion.  Captain  Cy  remembered  them  distinctly. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  said  hastily.  "  Well,  my  doin's 
that  time  wasn't  exactly  the  best  sample  of  the  care, 
I  will  say.  Wan't  even  a  fair  sample,  maybe.  I 
try  to  do  my  best  with  the  child,  long  as  she  stays 
with  me,  and — er — and — er — I'm  pretty  particular 
about  her  health." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  Yes.  Now,  Miss  Phoebe,  I  appreciate  what  you 
did  for  Bos'n  and  me  that  Sunday,  and  I'm  thankful 

for  it.     I've  tried  to  thank " 

148 


THE    "COW    LADY' 

"  I  know.  Please  don't  say  any  more  about  it.  I 
imagine  there  is  something  else  you  want  to  say,  isn't 
there?" 

'  Why,  yes,  there  is.  I — I  heard  that  Emmie  had 
been  kept  after  school.  I  didn't  believe  it,  of  course, 
but  I  thought  I'd  run  up  and  see  what " 

He  hesitated.  The  teacher  finished  the  sentence 
for  him. 

"  To  see  if  it  was  true?  "  she  said.  "  It  is.  I  told 
her  to  stay  and  write  fifty  lines." 

'You  did?  Well,  now  that's  what  I  wanted  to 
speak  to  you  about.  Course  I  ain't  interferin'  in  your 
affairs,  you  know,  but  I  just  wanted  to  explain  about 
Bos'n — Emmie,  I  mean.  She  ain't  a  common  child; 
she's  got  too  much  head  for  the  rest  of  her.  If  you'd 
lived  with  her  same  as  I  have  you'd  appreciate  it. 
Her  health's  delicate." 

"  Is  it?  She  seems  strong  enough  to  me.  I  haven't 
noticed  any  symptoms." 

"  Course  not,  else  you  wouldn't  have  kept  her  in. 
But  /  know,  and  I  think  it's  my  duty  to  tell  you. 
Never  mind  if  she  can't  do  quite  so  much  writin'. 
I'd  rather  she  wouldn't;  she  might  bust  a  blood  ves 
sel  or  somethin'.  Such  things  have  happened,  to 
extry  smart  young  ones.  You  just  let  her  trot  along 
home  with  me  now  and 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  Miss  Dawes  had  risen  to  her 
feet  with  a  determined  expression  on  her  face. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  the  captain,  rising  also. 
149 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  repeated  the  teacher,  "  I'm 
very  glad  that  you  called.  I've  been  rather  expect 
ing  you  might,  because  of  certain  things  I  have 
heard." 

"You  heard?  What  was  it  you  heard — if  you 
don't  mind  my  askin' ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't,  because  I  think  we  must  have  an 
understanding  about  Emily.  I  have  heard  that  you 
allow  her  to  do  as  she  pleases  at  home ;  in  other  words, 
that  you  are  spoiling  her,  and " 

"  Spoilin'  her !  /  spoilin'  her?  Who  told  you  such 
an  unlikely  yarn  as  that?  I  ain't  the  kind  to  spoil 
anybody.  Why,  I'm  so  strict  that  I'm  ashamed  of 
myself  sometimes." 

He  honestly  believed  he  was.  Miss  Phoebe  calmly 
continued. 

"  Of  course,  what  you  do  at  home  is  none  of  my 
business.  I  shouldn't  mention  it  anyhow,  if  you  hadn't 
called,  because  I  pay  very  little  attention  to  town  talk, 
having  lived  in  this  county  all  my  life  and  knowing 
what  gossip  amounts  to.  I  like  Emily;  she's  a  pretty 
good  little  girl  and  well  behaved,  as  children  go.  But 
this  you  must  understand.  She  can't  be  spoiled  here. 
She  whispered  this  afternoon,  twice.  She  has  been 
warned  often,  and  knows  the  rule.  I  kept  her  after 
school  because  she  broke  that  rule,  and  if  she  breaks 
it  again,  she  will  be  punished  again.  I  kept  the  Ed 
wards  boy  two  hours  yesterday  and— 

"  Edwards  boy !  Do  you  mean  to  compare  that — 
150 


THE    "COW   LADY' 

that  young  rip  of  a  Ben  Edwards  with  a  girl  like 
Bos'n?  I  never  heard " 

"  I'm  not  comparing  anybody.  I'm  trying  to  be 
fair  to  every  scholar  in  this  room.  And,  so  long  as 
Emily  behaves  herself,  she  shall  be  treated  accord 
ingly.  When  she  doesn't,  she  shall  be  punished.  You 
must  understand  that." 

"  But  Ben  Edwards!  Why,  he's  a  wooden-head, 
same  as  his  dad  was  afore  him!  And  Emmie's  the 
smartest  scholar  in  this  town." 

"  Oh,  no,  she  isn't !  She's  a  good  scholar,  but  there 
are  others  just  as  good  and  even  quicker  to  learn." 

This  was  piling  one  insult  upon  another.  Other 
children  as  brilliant  as  Bos'n !  Captain  Cy  was  burst 
ing  with  righteous  indignation. 

"Well!"  he  exclaimed.  "Well!  for  a  teacher 
that  we've  called  to " 

"  And  that's  another  thing,"  broke  in  Miss  Dawes 
quickly.  "  I've  been  told  that  you,  Cap'n  Whittaker, 
are  the  one  directly  responsible  for  my  being  chosen 
for  this  place.  I  don't  say  that  you  are  presuming 
on  that,  but " 

"  I  ain't!     I  never  thought  of  such  a  thing!  " 

"  But  if  you  are  you  mustn't,  that's  all.  I  didn't 
ask  for  the  position  and,  now  that  I've  got  it,  I  shall 
try  to  fill  it  without  regard  to  one  person  more  than 
another.  Emily  stays  here  until  her  lines  are  written. 
I  don't  think  we  need  to  say  any  more.  Good  day." 

She  opened  the  door.     Captain  Cy  picked  up  his 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

hat,  swallowed  hard,  and  stepped  across  the  thresh 
old.     Then  Miss  Phoebe  added  one  more  remark. 

"  Cap'n,"  she  said,  "  when  you  were  in  command 
of  a  ship  did  you  allow  outsiders  to  tell  you  how  to 
treat  the  sailors?  " 

The  captain  opened  his  mouth  to  reply.  He 
wanted  to  reply  very  much,  but  somehow  he  couldn't 
find  a  satisfying  answer  to  that  question. 

"  Ma'am,"  he  said,  "  all  I  can  say  is  that  if  you'd 
been  in  South  America,  same  as  I  have,  and  seen  the 
way  them  half-breed  young  ones  act,  you'd 

The  teacher  smiled,  in  spite  of  an  apparent  effort 
not  to. 

"  Perhaps  so,"  she  said,  "  but  this  is  Massachusetts. 
And — well,  Emily  isn't  a  half-breed." 

Captain  Cy  strode  through  the  vestibule.  Just  be 
fore  the  door  closed  behind  him  he  heard  a  stifled  sob 
from  poor  Bos'n. 

The  Board  of  Strategy  was  waiting  at  the  end  of 
the  yard.  Its  members  were  filled  with  curiosity. 

"  Did  you  give  it  to  her  good?  "  demanded  Asaph. 
"  Did  you  let  her  understand  we  wouldn't  put  up 
with  such  cruelizin'?" 

"  Where's  Bos'n?  "  asked  Mr.  Bangs. 

Their  friend's  answers  were  brief  and  tantalizingly 
incomplete.  He  walked  homeward  at  a  gait  which 
caused  plump  little  Bailey  to  puff  in  his  efforts  to 
keep  up,  and  he  would  say  almost  nothing  about  the 
interview  in  the  schoolroom. 

152 


'•' '  I  don't  think  we  need  to  say  any  more.      Good  day.' 


THE    "COW    LADY' 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Tidditt,  when  they  reached  the 
Whittaker  gate,  "  I  guess  she  knows  her  place  now; 
hey,  Cy?  I  cal'late  she'll  be  careful  who  she  keeps 
after  school  from  now  on." 

"  Didn't  use  no  profane  language,  did  you,  Cy?  ' 
asked  Bailey.     "  I  hope  not,  'cause  she  might  have 
you  took  up  just  out  of  spite.     Did  she  ask  your  par 
don  for  her  actions?  " 

"  No !  "  roared  the  captain  savagely.  Then,  bang 
ing  the  gate  behind  him,  he  strode  up  the  yard  and 
into  the  house. 

Bos'n  came  home  a  half  hour  later.  Captain  Cy 
was  alone  in  the  sitting  room,  seated  in  his  favorite 
rocker  and  moodily  staring  at  nothing  in  particular. 
The  girl  gazed  at  him  for  a  moment  and  then  climbed 
into  his  lap. 

"  I  wrote  my  fifty  lines,  Uncle  Cyrus,"  she  said. 
"  Teacher  said  I'd  done  them  very  nicely,  too." 

The  captain  grunted. 

"  Uncle  Cy,"  whispered  Bos'n,  putting  her  arms 
around  his  neck,  "  I'm  awful  sorry  I  was  so 
bad." 

"  Bad?  Who — you?  You  couldn't  be  bad  if  you 
wanted  to.  Don't  talk  that  way  or  I'll  say  somethin' 
I  hadn't  ought  to." 

"  Yes,  I  could  be  bad,  too.  I  was  bad.  I  whis 
pered." 

"Whispered!  What  of  it?  That  ain't  nothin'. 
When  I  was  a  young  one  in  school  I  used  to  whis — 

153 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

.  .  .  Hum !      Well,    anyhow,   don't   you   think   any 
more  about  it.     'Tain't  worth  while." 

They  rocked  quietly  for  a  time.  Then  Bos'n 
said: 

"  Uncle  Cyrus,  don't  you  like  teacher?  " 

"  Hey?  Like  her?  Well,  if  that  ain't  a  question? 
Yes,  I  like  her  about  as  well  as  Lonesome  likes  Eben 
Salter's  dog." 

"  I'm  sorry.     I  like  her  ever  so  much." 

'  You  do?    Go  'long!     After  the  way  she  treated 
you,  poor  little  thing!  " 

"  She  didn't  treat  me  any  worse  than  she  does  the 
other  girls  and  boys  when  they're  naughty.  And  I 
did  know  the  rule  about  whispering." 

"  Well,  that's  different.  Comparin'  you  with  that 
Bennie  Edwards — the  idea !  And  then  makin'  you 
cry!" 

"  She  didn't  make  me  cry." 

"  Did,  too.     I  heard  you." 

The  child  looked  up  at  him  and  then  hid  her  face 
in  his  waistcoat. 

"  I  wasn't  crying  about  her,"  she  whispered.  "  It 
was  you." 

"Me!"  The  captain  gasped.  "Good  land!" 
he  muttered.  "  It's  just  as  I  expected.  She's  studied 
too  hard  and  it's  touchin'  her  brain." 

"  No,  sir,  it  isn't.  It  isn't  truly.  I  did  cry  about 
you  because  I  didn't  like  to  hear  you  talk  so.  And  I 
was  so  sorry  to  have  you  come  there." 

154 


THE    "COW    LADY1 

"Youttw!" 

"  Yes,  sir.  Other  children's  folks  don't  come  when 
they're  bad.  And  I  kept  feeling  so  sort  of  ashamed 
of  you." 

"Ashamed  of  me?" 

Bos'n  nodded  vigorously. 

u  Yes,  sir.  Everything  teacher  said  sounded  so 
right,  and  what  you  said  didn't.  And  I  like  to  have 
you  always  right." 

"Do,  hey?  Hum!"  Captain  Cy  didn't  speak 
again  for  some  few  minutes,  but  he  held  the  little 
girl  very  tight  in  his  arms.  At  length  he  drew  a  long 
breath. 

"By  the  big  dipper,  Bos'n!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  You're  a  wonder,  you  are.  I  wouldn't  be  surprised 
if  you  grew  up  to  be  a  mind  reader,  like  that  feller  in 
the  show  we  went  to  at  the  townhall  a  spell  ago.  To 
tell  you  the  honest  Lord's  truth,  I've  been  ashamed 
of  myself  ever  since  I  come  out  of  that  schoolhouse 
door.  When  that  teacher  woman  sprung  that  on  me 
about  my  fo'mast  hands  aboard  ship  I  was  set  back 
about  forty  fathom.  I  never  wanted  to  answer  any 
body  so  bad  in  my  life,  and  I  couldn't  'cause  there 
wasn't  anything  to  say.  I  cal'late  I've  made  a  fool 
of  myself." 

Bos'n  nodded  again. 

'  We  won't  do  so  any  more,  will  we?  "  she  said. 
'  You   bet  we  won't !      /  won't,   anyhow.      You 
haven't  done  anything." 

12  155 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  And  you'll  like  teacher?  " 

The  captain  stamped  his  foot. 

"  No,  5/r!  "  he  declared.  "  She  may  be  all  right 
in  her  way — I  s'pose  she  is;  but  it's  too  Massachu- 
settsy  a  way  for  me.  No,  sir !  I  don't  like  her  and 
I  w,'o«'/  like  her.  No,  sir-ee,  never !  She — she 
ain't  my  kind  of  a  woman,"  he  added  stubbornly. 
44  That's  what's  the  matter!  She  ain't  my  kind  of 
a  woman." 


CHAPTER    IX 

POLITICS   AND   BIRTHDAYS 

TOWN  meeting  "  was  called  for  the  twenty- 
first  of  November. 
With  the  summer  boarders  gone,  the 
cranberry  picking  finished,  state  election  over,  school 
begun  and  under  way,  and  real  winter  not  yet  upon 
us,  Bayport,  in  the  late  fall,  distinctly  needs  some 
thing  to  enliven  it.  The  Shakespeare  Reading  Society 
and  the  sewing  circle  continue,  of  course,  to  interest 
the  "  women  folks,"  there  is  the  usual  every  evening 
gathering  at  Simmons's,  and  the  young  people  are 
looking  forward  to  the  "  Grand  Ball  "  on  Thanks 
giving  eve.  But  for  the  men,  on  week  days,  there 
is  little  to  do  except  to  "  putter  "  about  the  house, 
banking  its  foundations  with  dry  seaweed  as  a  pre 
caution  against  searching  no'theasters,  whitewashing 
the  barns  and  outbuildings,  or  fixing  things  in  the 
vegetable  cellar  where  the  sticks  of  smoked  herring 
hang  in  rows  above  the  barrels  of  cabbages,  potatoes, 
and  turnips.  The  fish  weirs,  most  of  them,  are  taken 
up,  lest  the  ice,  which  will  be  driven  into  the  bay 
later  on,  tear  the  nets  to  pieces.  Even  the  hens  grow 

157 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

lazy  and  lay  less  frequently.  Therefore,  away  back 
in  the  "  airly  days,"  some  far-sighted  board  of  select 
men  arranged  that  "  town  meeting  "  should  be  held 
during  this  lackadaisical  season.  A  town  meeting 
— and  particularly  a  Bayport  town  meeting,  where 
everything  from  personal  affairs  to  religion  is  likely 
to  be  discussed — can  stir  up  excitement  when  nothing 
else  can. 

This  year  there  were  several  questions  to  be  talked 
over  and  settled  at  town  meeting.  Two  selectmen, 
whose  terms  expired,  were  candidates  for  reelection. 
Lem  Myrick  had  resigned  from  the  school  commit 
tee,  not  waiting  until  spring,  as  he  had  announced 
that  he  should  do.  Then  there  was  the  usual  senti 
ment  in  favor  of  better  roads  and  the  usual  opposi 
tion  to  it.  Also  there  was^the  ever-present  hope  of  the 
government  appropriation  for  harbor  improvement. 

Mr.  Tidditt  was  one  of  the  selectmen  whose  terms 
expired.  In  his  dual  capacity  as  selectman  and  town 
clerk  Asaph  felt  himself  to  be  a  very  important  per 
sonage.  To  elect  some  one  else  in  his  place  would 
be,  he  was  certain,  a  calamity  which  would  stagger 
the  township.  Therefore  he  was  a  busy  man  and 
made  many  calls  upon  his  fellow  citizens,  not  to  in 
fluence  their  votes — he  was  careful  to  explain  that — 
but  just,  as  he  said,  "  to  see  how  they  was  gettin' 
along,"  and  because  he  "  thought  consider'ble  of 
'em  "  and  "  took  a  real  personal  interest,  you  under 
stand,"  in  their  affairs. 

158 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

To  Captain  Cy  he  came,  naturally,  for  encourage 
ment  and  help,  being — as  was  his  habit  at  such  times 
— in  a  state  of  gloom  and  hopeless  despair. 

"  No  use,  Whit,"  he  groaned.  "  'Tain't  no  use 
at  all.  I'm  licked.  I'm  gettin'  old  and  they  don't 
want  me  no  more.  I  guess  I'd  better  get  right  up 
afore  the  votin'  begins  and  tell  'em  my  health 
ain't  strong  enough  to  be  town  clerk  no  longer. 
It's  better  to  do  that  than  to  be  licked.  Don't  you 
think  so?" 

"Sure  thing!"  replied  his  friend,  with  sarcasm. 
"  If  I  was  you  I'd  be  toted  in  on  a  bed  so  they  can 
see  you're  all  ready  for  the  funeral.  Might  have  the 
doctor  walkin'  ahead,  wipin'  his  eyes,  and  the  joyful 
undertaker  trottin'  along  astern.  What's  the  par 
ticular  disease  that's  got  you  by  the  collar  just  now — 
facial  paralysis?  " 

"  No.     What  made  you  think  of  that?  " 

"  Oh,  nothin' !  Only  I  heard  you  stopped  in  at 
ten  houses  up  to  the  west  end  of  the  town  yesterday, 
and  talked  three  quarters  of  an  hour  steady  at  every 
one.  That  would  fit  me  for  the  scrap  heap  inside  of 
a  week,  and  you've  been  goin'  it  ever  since  September 
nearly.  What  does  ail  you — anything?  " 

'  Why,  no;  nothin'  special  that  way.  Only  there 
don't  seem  to  be  any  enthusiasm  for  me,  somehow. 
I  just  hint  at  my  bein'  a  candidate  and  folks  say, 
1  Yes,  indeed.  Looks  like  rain,  don't  it?  '  and  that's 
about  all." 

159 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Well,  that  hadn't  ought  to  surprise  you.  If  any 
body  came  to  me  and  says,  '  The  sun's  goin'  to  rise 
to-morrer  mornin','  I  shouldn't  dance  on  my  hat  and 
crow  hallelujahs.  Enthusiasm !  Why,  Ase,  you've 
been  a  candidate  every  two  years  since  Noah  got  the 
ark  off  the  ways,  or  along  there.  And  there  ain't 
been  any  opposition  to  you  yet,  except  that  time  when 
Uncle  'Bial  Stickney  woke  up  in  the  wrong  place  and 
hollered  '  No,'  out  of  principle,  thinkin'  he  was  to 
home  with  his  wife.  If  I  was  you  I'd  go  and  take  a 
nap.  You'll  read  the  minutes  at  selectmen's  meetings 
for  another  fifty  year,  more  or  less ;  take  my  word  for 
it.  As  for  the  school  committee,  that's  different.  I 
ain't  made  up  my  mind  about  that." 

There  had  been  much  discussion  concerning  the 
School  committee.  Who  should  be  chosen  to  replace 
Mr.  Myrick  on  the  board  was  the  gravest  question  to 
come  before  the  meeting.  Many  names  had  been 
proposed  at  Simmons's  and  elsewhere,  but  some  of 
those  named  had  refused  to  run,  and  others  had  not, 
after  further  consideration,  seemed  the  proper  per 
sons  for  the  office.  In  the  absence  of  Mr.  Atkins, 
Tad  Simpson  was  our  leader  in  the  political  arena. 
But  Tad  so  far  had  been  mute. 

"  Wait  a  while,"  he  said.  u  There's  some  weeks 
afore  town  meetin'  day.  This  is  a  serious  business. 
We  can't  have  no  more — I  mean  no  unsuitable  man 
to  fill  such  an  important  place  as  that.  The  welfare 
of  our  posterity,"  he  added,  and  we  all  recognized  the 

1 60 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

quotation,  "  depends  upon  the  choice  that's  to  be 
made." 

A  choice  was  made,  however,  on  the  very  next  day 
but  one  after  this  declaration.  A  candidate  an 
nounced  himself.  Asaph  and  Bailey  hurried  to  the 
Cy  Whittaker  place  with  the  news.  Captain  Cy  was 
in  the  woodshed  building  a  doll  house  for  Bos'n. 
"  Just  for  my  own  amusement,"  he  hastily  ex 
plained.  "  Somethin'  for  her  to  take  along  when  she 
goes  out  West  to  Betsy." 

Mr.  Tidditt  was  all  smiles. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Cy?  "  he  cried.  "  The  new 
school  committee  man's  as  good  as  elected.  'Lonzo 
Snow's  goin'  to  take  it." 

The  captain  laid  down  his  plane. 

"  'Lonzo  Snow!  "  he  repeated.  "You  don't  say! 
Humph!  Well,  well!" 

"  Yes,  sir!  "  exclaimed  Bailey.  "  He's  come  for 
ward  and  says  it's  his  duty  to  do  so.  He " 

"  Humph !  His  duty,  hey  ?  I  wonder  who  pointed 
it  out  to  him?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  But  even  Tad  Simpson's 
glad;  he  says  that  he  knows  Heman  will  be  pleased 
with  that  kind  of  a  candidate  and  so  he  won't  have 
to  do  any  more  huntin'.  He  thinks  'Lonzo's  comin' 
out  by  himself  this  way  is  a  kind  of  special  Provi 
dence." 

'  Yes,  yes !  I  shouldn't  wonder.  Did  you  ever 
notice  how  dead  sure  Tad  and  his  kind  are  that 

161 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Providence  is  workin'  with  'em  ?  Seems  to  me  'twould 
be  more  satisfactory  if  we  could  get  a  sight  of  the 
other  partner's  signature  to  the  deed." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  you?  "  demanded  Asaph. 
"  You  ain't  findin'  fault  with  'Lonzo,  are  you?  Ain't- 
he  a  good  man?  " 

"  Good !  Sure  thing  he's  good !  Nobody  can  say 
he  isn't  and  tell  the  truth." 

No  one  could  truthfully  speak  ill  of  Alonzo  Snow, 
that  was  a  fact.  He  lived  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
village,  was  well  to  do,  a  leading  cranberry  grower, 
and  very  prominent  in  the  church.  A  mild,  easy 
going  person  was  Mr.  Snow,  with  an  almost  too  keen 
fear  of  doing  the  wrong  thing  and  therefore  prone 
to  be  guided  by  the  opinion  of  others.  He  was  dis 
tinctly  not  a  politician. 

'  Then  what  ails  you?  "  asked  Asaph  hotly. 

"  Why,  nothin',  maybe.  Only  I'm  always  suspi 
cious  when  Tad  pats  Providence  on  the  back.  I  gen 
erally  figure  that  I  can  see  through  a  doughnut,  when 
there's  a  light  behind  the  hole.  Who  is  'Lonzo's 
best  friend  in  this  town?  Who  does  he  chum  with 
most  of  anybody?  " 

"  Why,  Darius  Ellis,  I  guess.    You  know  it." 

"  Um — hum.  And  Darius  is  on  the  committee — 
why?" 

"  Well,  I  s'pose  'cause  Heman  Atkins  thought  he'd 
be  a  good  feller  to  have  there.  But " 

"  Yes,  and  'Lonzo's  pew  in  church  is  right  under 
162 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

the  Atkins  memorial  window.  The  light  from  it 
makes  a  kind  of  halo  round  his  bald  head  every 
Sunday." 

"Well,  what  of  it?  Heman,  nor  nobody  else, 
could  buy  'Lonzo  Snow." 

"  Buy  him?  Indeed  they  couldn't.  But  there  are 
some  things  you  get  without  buyin' — the  measles,  for 
instance.  And  the  one  that's  catchin'  'em  don't  know 
he's  in  danger  till  the  speckles  break  out.  Fellers, 
this  committee  voted  in  Phoebe  Dawes  by  just  two 
votes  to  one,  and  one  of  the  two  was  Lem  Myrick. 
Darius  was  against  her.  Now  with  Tad  and  his 
'  Providence  '  puttin'  in  'Lonzo  Snow,  and  Heman 
Atkins  settin'  behind  the  screen  workin'  his  Normal 
School  music  box  so's  they  can  hear  the  tune — well, 
Phoebe  may  stay  this  term  out,  but  how  about  next?  " 

"  Hey  ?  Why,  I  don't  know.  Anyhow,  you're 
down  on  Phoebe  as  a  thousand  of  brick.  I  don't  see 
why  you  worry  about  her.  After  the  way  she  treated 
poor  Bos'n  and  all." 

Captain  Cy  stirred  uneasily  and  kicked  a  chip  across 
the  floor. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "well,  I— I  don't  know's  that's— 
That  is,  right's  right  and  wrong's  wrong.  I've  seen 
bullfights  down  yonder — "  jerking  his  thumb  over 
his  shoulder  in  the  vague  direction  of  Buenos  Ayres, 
"  and  every  time  my  sympathy's  been  with  the  bull. 
Not  that  I  loved  the  critter  for  his  own  sake,  but 
because  all  Greaserdom  was  out  to  down  him.  From 

163 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

what  I  hear,  this  Phoebe  Dawes — for  all  her  pesky 
down-East  stubbornness — is  teachin'  pretty  well,  and 


"'Look  here,   you  two!  how  would  I  look  on  the 
school  committee  ? '  ' 

anyhow  she's  one  little  woman  against  Tad  Simpson 
and  Heman  Atkins  and — and  Tad's  special  brand  of 
Providence.  She  deserves  a  fair  shake  and,  by  the 

164 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

big  dipper,  she's  goin'  to  have  it!  Look  here,  you 
two !  how  would  I  look  on  the  school  committee?  " 

"You?"  repeated  the  pair  in  concert.     "  You?" 

"  Yes,  me.  I  ain't  a  Solomon  for  wisdom,  but  I 
cal'late  I'd  be  as  near  the  top  of  the  barrel  as  Darius 
Ellis,  and  only  one  or  two  layers  under  Eben  Salters 
or  'Lonzo  Snow.  I'm  a  candidate — see?  " 

"  But — but,  Whit,"  gasped  the  town  clerk,  "  are 
you  popular  enough?  Could  you  get  elected?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  can  find  out.  You  and 
Bailey  '11  vote  for  me,  won't  you?  " 

"  Course  we  will,  but " 

"  All  right.  Thefe's  two  votes.  A  hundred  and 
odd  more'll  put  me  in.  Here  goes  for  politics  and 
popularity.  I  may  be  president  yet;  you  can't  tell. 
And  say !  this  town  meetin'  won't  be  dull,  whichever 
way  the  cat  jumps." 

This  last  was  a  safe  prophecy.  All  dullness  disap 
peared  from  Bayport  the  moment  it  became  known 
that  Captain  Cyrus  Whittaker  was  "  out  "  for  the 
school  committee.  The  captain  began  his  electioneer 
ing  at  once.  That  very  afternoon  he  called  upon 
three  people — Eben  Salters,  Josiah  Dimick,  and  Lem 
uel  Myrick. 

Captain  Salters  was  chairman  of  selectmen  as  well 
as  chairman  of  the  committee.  He  was  a  hard-headed 
old  salt,  who  had  made  money  in  the  Australian 
packet  service.  He  had  common  sense,  independence, 
and  considerable  influence  in  the  town.  Next  to 

165 


Congressman  Atkins  he  was,  perhaps,  our  leading 
citizen.  And,  more  than  all,  he  was  not  afraid, 
when  he  thought  it  necessary,  to  oppose  the  great 
Heman. 

"  Well,"  he  said  reflectively,  after  listening  to  Cap 
tain  Cy's  brief  statement  of  his  candidacy,  "  I  cal'late 
I'll  stand  in  with  you,  Cy.  I  ain't  got  anything 
against  'Lonzo,  but — but — well,  consarn  it!  maybe 
that's  the  trouble.  Maybe  he's  so  darned  good  it 
makes  me  jealous.  Anyhow,  I'll  do  what  I  can  for 
you." 

Joe  Dimick  laughed  aloud.  He  was  an  iconoclast, 
seldom  went  to  church,  and  was  entirely  lacking  in 
reverence.  Also  he  really  liked  the  captain. 

"  Ho,  ho !  "  he  crowed.  "  Whit,  do  you  realize 
that  you're  underminin'  this  town's  constitution? 
Oh,  sartin,  I'm  with  you,  if  it's  only  to  see  the  fur 
fly !  I  do  love  a  scrap." 

With  Lem  Myrick  Captain  Cy's  policy  was  differ 
ent.  He  gently  reminded  that  gentleman  of  the  paint 
ing  contract,  intimated  that  other  favors  might  be 
forthcoming,  and  then,  as  a  clincher,  spoke  of  Tad 
Simpson's  comment  when  Mr.  Myrick  voted  for 
Phoebe  Dawes. 

"  Of  course,"  he  added,  "  if  you  think  Tad's  got 
a  right  to  boss  all  hands  and  the  cook,  why,  I  ain't 
complainin'.  Only,  if  /  was  a  painter  doin'  a  good, 
high-class  trade,  and  a  one-hoss  barber  tried  to  dic 
tate  to  me,  I  shouldn't  bow  down  and  tell  him  to  kick 

1 66 


.3 
S 


O 
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POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

easy  as  he  could.     Seems  to  me  I'd  kick  first.    But 
I'm  no  boss ;  I  mustn't  influence  you." 

Lemuel  was  indignant. 

"  No  barber  runs  me,"  he  declared.  "  You  stand 
up  for  me  when  that  townhall  paintin's  to  be  done 
and  I'll  work  hard  for  you  now,  Cap'n  Whittaker. 
'Lonzo  Snow's  an  elder  and  all  that,  but  I  can't  help 
it.  Anyway,  his  place  was  all  fixed  up  a  year  ago 
and  I  didn't  get  the  job.  A  feller  has  to  look  after 
himself  these  days." 

With  these  division  commanders  to  lead  their 
forces  into  the  enemy's  country  and  with  Asaph  and 
Bailey  doing  what  they  could  to  help,  Captain  Cy's 
campaign  soon  became  worthy  of  respectful  consid 
eration.  For  a  while  Tad  Simpson  scoffed  at  the 
opposition;  then  he  began  to  work  openly  for  Mr. 
Snow.  Later  he  marshaled  his  trusted  officers  around 
the  pool  table  in  the  back  room  of  the  barber  shop 
and  confided  to  them  that  it  was  anybody's  fight  and 
that  he  was  worried. 

;'  It's  past  bein'  a  joke,"  he  said.  ic  It's  mighty 
serious.  We've  got  to  hustle,  we  have.  Heman 
trusted  me  in  this  job,  and  if  I  fall  down  it  '11  be 
bad  for  me  and  for  you  fellers,  too.  I  wish  he  was 
home  to  run  things  himself,  but  he's  got  business 
down  South  there — some  property  he  owns  or  some- 
thin' — and  says  he  can't  leave.  But  we  must  win! 
By  mighty !  we've  got  to.  So  get  every  vote  you  can. 
Never  mind  how;  just  get  'em,  that's  all." 

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CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Captain  Cy  was  thoroughly  enjoying  himself. 
The  struggle  suited  him  to  perfection.  He  was 
young,  in  spite  of  his  fifty-five  years,  and  this  tussle 
against  odds,  reminding  him  of  other  tussles  during 
his  first  seasons  in  business,  aroused  his  energies  and, 
as  he  expressed  it,  "  stirred  up  his  vitals  and  made 
him  hop  round  like  a  dose  of  '  pain  killer.'  ' 

He  did  not,  however,  forget  Bos'n.  He  and  she 
had  their  walks  and  their  pleasant  evenings  together 
in  spite  of  politics.  He  took  the  child  into  his  con 
fidence  and  told  her  of  the  daily  gain,  or  loss,  in 
votes,  as  if  she  were  his  own  age.  She  understood  a 
little  of  all  this,  and  tried  hard  to  understand  the  rest, 
preaching  between  times  to  Georgianna  how  "  the 
bad  men  were  trying  to  b^at  Uncle  Cyrus  because 
he  was  gooder  than  they,  but  they  couldn't,  'cause 
everybody  loved  him  so."  Georgianna  had  some 
doubts,  but  she  kept  them  to  herself. 

Among  the  things  in  Bos'n's  "  box  "  was  a  long 
envelope,  sealed  with  wax  and  with  a  lawyer's  name 
printed  in  one  corner.  The  captain  opened  it,  at  Em 
ily's  suggestion,  and  was  astonished  to  find  that  the 
inclosure  was  a  will,  dated  some  years  back,  in  which 
Mrs.  Mary  Thomas,  the  child's  mother,  left  to  her 
daughter  all  her  personal  property  and  also  the  land 
in  Orham,  Massachusetts,  which  had  been  willed  to 
her  by  her  own  mother.  There  was  a  note  with  the 
will  in  which  Mrs.  Thomas  stated  that  no  one  save 
herself  had  known  of  this  land,  not  even  her  husband. 

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POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

She  had  not  told  him  because  she  feared  that,  like 
everything  else,  it  would  be  sold  and  the  money  wasted 
in  dissipation.  "  He  suspected  something  of  the 
sort,"  she  added,  "  but  he  did  not  find  out  the  secret, 
although  he — "  She  had  evidently  scratched  out 
what  followed,  but  Captain  Cy  mentally  filled  in  the 
blank  with  details  of  abuse  and  cruelty.  "  If  any 
thing  happens  to  me,"  concluded  the  widow,  "  I  want 
the  land  sold  and  the  money  used  for  Emily's  mainte 
nance  as  long  as  it  lasts." 

The  captain  went  over  to  Orham  and  looked  up 
the  land.  It  was  a  strip  along  the  shore,  almost 
worthless,  and  unsalable  at  present.  The  taxes  had 
been  regularly  paid  each  year  by  Mary  Thomas,  who 
had  sent  money  orders  from  Concord.  The  self- 
denial  represented  by  these  orders  was  not  a  little. 

"  Never  mind,  Bos'n,"  said  Captain  Cy,  when  he 
returned  from  the  Orham  trip.  "  Your  ancestral  es 
tates  ain't  much  now  but  a  sand-flea  menagerie. 
However,  if  this  section  ever  does  get  to  be  the  big 
summer  resort  folks  are  prophesying  for  it,  you  may 
sell  out  to  some  millionaire  and  you  and  me'll  go  to 
Europe.  Meantime,  we'll  try  to  keep  afloat,  if  the 
Harniss  Bank  don't  spring  a  leak." 

On  the  day  following  this  conversation  he  took  a 
flying  trip  to  Ostable,  the  county  seat,  returning  the 
same  evening,  and  saying  nothing  to  anyone  about 
his  reasons  for  going  nor  what  he  had  done  while 
there. 

13  169 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Bos'n's  birthday  was  the  eighteenth  of  November. 
The  captain,  in  spite  of  the  warmth  of  his  struggle 
for  committee  honors,  determined  to  have  a  small 
celebration  on  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  that  day. 
It  was  to  be  a  surprise  for  Emily,  and,  after  school 
was  over,  some  of  her  particular  friends  among  the 
scholars  were  to  come  in,  there  was  to  be  a  cake  with 
eight  candles  on  it,  and  a  supper  at  which  ice  cream 
— lemon  and  vanilla,  prepared  by  Mrs.  Cahoon — 
was  to  be  the  principal  feature.  Also  there  would  be 
games  and  all  sorts  of  fun. 

Captain  Cy  was  tremendously  interested  in  the 
party.  He  spent  hours  with  Georgianna  and  the 
Board  of  Strategy,  preparing  the  list  of  guests.  His 
cunning  in  ascertaining  from  .the  unsuspecting  child 
who,  among  her  schoolmates,  she  would  like  to  in 
vite,  was  deep  and  guileful. 

"  Now,  Bos'n,"  he  would  say,  "  suppose  you  was 
goin'  to  clear  out  and  leave  this  town  for  a  spell, 
who " 

"  But,  Uncle  Cyrus — "  Bos'n's  eyes  grew  fright 
ened  and  moist  in  a  moment,  "  I  ain't  going,  am  I? 
I  don't  want  to  go." 

"  No,  no  !•  Course  you  ain't  goin' — that  is,  not 
for  a  long  while,  anyhow,"  with  a  sidelong  look  at 
the  members  of  the  "  Board,"  then  present.  "  But 
just  suppose  you  and  me  was  startin'  on  that  Europe 
trip.  Who'd  you  want  to  say  good-by  to  most  of 
all?" 

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POLITICS   AND    BIRTHDAYS 

Each  name  given  by  the  child  was  surreptitiously 
penciled  by  Bailey  on  a  scrap  of  paper.  The  list  was 
a  long  one  and,  when  the  great  afternoon  came,  the 
Whittaker  house  was  crowded. 

The  supper  was  a  brilliant  success.  So  was  the 
cake,  brought  in  with  candles  ablaze,  by  the  grinning 
Georgianna.  Beside  the  children  there  were  some 
older  people  present,  Bailey  and  Asaph,  of  course, 
and  the  "  regulars  "  from  the  perfect  boarding  house, 
who  had  been  invited  because  it  was  fairly  certain  that 
Mr.  Bangs  wouldn't  be  allowed  to  attend  if  his  wife 
did  not.  Miss  Dawes  had  also  been  asked,  at  Bos'n's 
well-understood  partiality,  but  she  had  declined. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  meal,  when  the  hilarity  at 
the  long  table  was  at  its  height,  an  unexpected  guest 
made  his  appearance.  There  was  a  knock  at  the 
dining-room  door,  and  Georgianna,  opening  it,  was 
petrified  to  behold,  standing  upon  the  step,  no  less  a 
personage  than  the  Honorable  Heman  Atkins,  sup 
posed  by  most  of  us  to  be  then  somewhere  in  that  wide 
stretch  of  territory  vaguely  termed  "  the  South." 

"  Good  evening,  all,"  said  the  illustrious  one,  re 
moving  his  silk  hat  and  stepping  into  the  room. 
"  What  a  charming  scene !  I  trust  I  do  not  intrude." 

Georgianna  was  still  speechless,  in  which  unwonted 
condition  she  was  not  alone,  Messrs.  Bangs  and  Tid- 
ditt  being  also  stricken  dumb.  But  Captain  Cy  rose 
to  the  occasion  grandly. 

"Intrude?"  he  repeated.  "Not  a  mite  of  it! 
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CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Heman.  Here,  give  us 
your  hat.  Pull  up  to  the  table.  When  did  you  get 
back?  Thought  you  was  in  the  orange  groves  some- 
wheres." 

"  Ahem !  I  was.  Yes,  I  was  in  that  neighbor 
hood.  But  it  is  hard  to  stay  away  from  dear  old 
Bayport.  Home  ties,  you  know,  home  ties.  I  came 
down  on  the  morning  train,  but  I  stopped  over  at 
Harniss  on  business  and  drove  across.  Ahem !  Yes. 
The  housekeeper  informed  me  that  my  daughter  was 
here,  and,  seeing  the  lights  and  hearing  the  laughter, 
I  couldn't  resist  making  this  impromptu  call.  I'm 
sure  as  an  old  friend  and  neighbor,  Cyrus,  you  will 
pardon  me.  Alicia,  darling,  come  and  kiss  papa." 

Darling  Alicia  accepted  the  invitation  with  a  rustle 
of  silk  and  an  ecstatic  squeal  of  delight.  During  this 
affecting  scene  Asaph  whispered  to  Bailey  that  he 
"  cal'lated  "  Heman  had  had  a  hurry-up  distress  sig 
nal  from  Simpson;  to  which  sage  observation  Mr. 
Bangs  replied  with  a  vigorous  nod,  showing  that 
Captain  Cy's  example  had  had  its  effect,  in  that  they 
no  longer  stood  in  such  awe  of  their  representative 
at  Washington. 

However  true  Asaph's  calculation  might  have  been, 
Mr.  Atkins  made  no  mention  of  politics.  He  was  ur 
banity  itself.  He  drew  up  to  the  table,  partook  of 
the  ice  cream  and  cake,  and  greeted  his  friends  and 
neighbors  with  charming  benignity. 

"  Wan't  it  sweet  of  him  to  come?"  whispered 
172 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

Miss  Phinney  to  Keturah.  "  And  him  so  nice  and 
everyday  and  sociable.  And  when  Cap'n  Whittaker's 
runnin'  against  his  friend,  as  you  might  say." 

Keturah  replied  with  a  dubious  shake  of  the  head. 

"  I  think  Captain  Cyrus  is  goin'  to  get  into 
trouble,"  she  said.  "  I've  preached  to  Bailey  more 
'n  a  little  about  keepin'  clear,  but  he  won't." 

"  Games  in  t'other  room  now,"  ordered  Captain 
Cy.  But  Mr.  Atkins  held  up  his  hand. 

"  Pardon  me,  just  a  moment,  Cyrus,  if  you  please," 
he  said.  "  I  feel  that  on  this  happy  occasion,  it  is  my 
duty  and  pleasure  to  propose  a  toast."  He  held  his 
lemonade  glass  aloft.  "  Permit  me,"  he  proclaimed, 
"  to  wish  many  happy  birthdays  and  long  life  to 
Miss —  I  beg  pardon,  Cyrus,  but  what  is  your  lit 
tle  friend's  name?" 

"  Emily  Richards  Thayer,"  replied  the  captain, 
carried  away  by  enthusiasm  and  off  his  guard  for 
once. 

"  To  Em — "  began  Heman.  Then  he  paused 
and  for  the  first  time  in  his  public  life  seemed  at  a 
loss  for  words.  "What?  "  he  asked,  and  his  hand 
shook.  "  I  fear  I  didn't  catch  the  name." 

"  No  wonder,"  laughed  Mr.  Tidditt.  "  Cy's  so 
crazy  to-night  he'd  forget  his  own  name.  Know  what 
you  said,  Cy?  You  said  she  was  Emily  Richards 
Thayer \  Haw!  haw!  She  ain't  a  Thayer,  Heman; 
her  last  name's  Thomas.  She's  Emily  Richards 
Thayer's  granddaughter  though.  Her  granddad  was 

173 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

John  Thayer,  over  to  Orham.  Good  land !  I  forgot. 
Well,  what  of  it,  Cy?  'Twould  have  to  be  known 
some  time." 

Everyone  looked  at  Captain  Cy  then.  No  one  ob 
served  Mr.  Atkins  for  the  moment.  When  they  did 
turn  their  gaze  upon  the  great  man  he  had  sunk  back 
in  his  chair,  the  glass  of  lemonade  was  upset  upon 
the  cloth  before  him,  and  he,  with  a  very  white  face, 
was  staring  at  Emily  Richards  Thomas. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Heman?  "  asked  the  captain 
anxiously.  "  Ain't  sick,  are  you?  " 

The  congressman  started. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  he  said  hurriedly.  "  Oh,  no !  but  I'm 
afraid  I've  soiled  your  cloth.  It  was  awkward  of  me. 
I — I  really,  I  apologize — I " 

He  wiped  his  face  with  his  handkerchief.  Captain 
Cy  laughed. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  the  tablecloth,"  he  said.  "  I 
cal'late  it's  too  soiled  already  to  be  hurt  by  a  bath, 
even  a  lemon  one.  Well,  you've  all  heard  the  toast. 
Full  glasses,  now.  Here's  to  you,  Bos'n!  Drink 
hearty,  all  hands,  and  give  the  ship  a  good  name." 

If  the  heartiness  with  which  they  drank  is  a  cri 
terion,  the  good  name  of  the  ship  was  established. 
Then  the  assembly  adjourned  to  the  sitting  room  and 
— yes,  even  the  front  parlor.  Not  since  the  days 
when  that  sacred  apartment  had  been  desecrated  by 
the  irreverent  city  boarders,  during  the  Howes 
regime,  had  its  walls  echoed  to  such  whoops  and 

174 


POLITICS    AND    BIRTHDAYS 

shouts  of  laughter.  The  children  played  "  Post  Of 
fice  "  and  "  Copenhagen  "  and  "  Clap  in,  Clap  out," 
while  the  grown  folks  looked  on. 

"  Ain't  they  havin'  a  fine  time,  Cap?  "  gushed  Miss 
Phinney.  "  Don't  it  make  you  wish  you  was  young 
again?  " 

"  Angie,"  replied  Captain  Cy  solemnly,  "  don't 
tempt  me ;  don't !  If  they  keep  on  playin'  that  Copen 
hagen  and  you  stand  right  alongside  of  me,  there's 
no  tellin'  what  '11  happen." 

Angeline  declared  that  he  was  "  tumble,"  but  she 
faced  the  threatened  danger  nevertheless,  and  bravely 
remained  wrhere  she  was. 

Mr.  Atkins  went  home  early  in  the  evening,  taking 
Alicia  with  him.  He  explained  that  his  long  railroad 
journey  had — er — somewhat  fatigued  him  and, 
though  he  hated  to  leave  such  a — er — delightful 
gathering,  he  really  felt  that,  under  the  circumstances, 
his  departure  would  be  forgiven.  Captain  Cy  opened 
the  door  for  him  and  stood  watching  as,  holding  his 
daughter  by  the  hand,  he  marched  majestically  down 
the  path. 

"  Hum !  "  mused  the  captain  aloud.  "  I  guess  he 
has  been  travelin'  nights.  Thought  he  ought  to  be 
here  quick,  I  shouldn't  wonder.  He  does  look  tired, 
that's  a  fact,  and  kind  of  pale,  seemed  to  me." 

'  Well,  there,  now!  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Tripp,  who 
was  looking  over  his  shoulder.     "  Did  you  see  that?  " 

"No;  what  was  it?" 

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CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Why,  when  he  went  to  open  his  gate,  one  of 
them  arbor  vity  bushes  he  set  out  this  spring  knocked 
his  hat  off.  And  he  never  seemed  to  notice,  but  went 
right  on.  If  'Licia  hadn't  picked  it  up,  that  nice 
new  hat  would  have  been  layin'  there  yet.  That's 
the  most  undignified  thing  ever  I  see  Heman  Atkins 
do.  He  must  be  tired  out,  poor  man  1  " 


CHAPTER    X 

A   LETTER  AND   A   VISITOR 

WHIT,"  asked  Asaph  next  day,  "  wan't  you 
surprised  to  see  Heman  last  night?" 
Captain  Cy  nodded.    He  was  once  more 
busy  with  the  doll  house,  the  construction  of  which 
had  progressed  slowly  of  late,  owing  to  the  demands 
which  the  party  and  politics  made  upon  its  builder's 
time. 

"  Yup,"  he  said,  "  I  sartinly  was.  Pretty  good 
sign,  I  shouldn't  wonder.  Looks  as  if  friend  Tad 
had  found  the  tide  settin'  too  strong  against  him 
and  had  whistled  for  a  tug.  All  right;  the  more 
scared  the  other  side  get,  the  better  for  us." 

"  But  what  in  the  world  made  Heman  come  over 
and  have  supper?  He  never  so  much  as  stepped 
foot  in  the  house  afore,  did  he?  That's  the  biggest 
conundrum  of  all." 

"  Well,  I  guess  I've  got  the  answer.  Strikes  me 
that  Heman's  sociableness  is  the  best  sign  yet.  He- 
man's  a  slick  article,  and  when  he  sees  there's  danger 
of  losin'  the  frostin'  on  the  cake  he  takes  care  to 
scrape  the  burnt  part  off  the  bottom.  I  may  be 

177 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

school  committeeman  after  town  meetin'.  He'll 
move  all  creation  to  stop  me,  of  course — in  his  quiet, 
round-the-corner  way — but,  if  I  do  win  out,  he 
wants  to  be  in  a  position  to  take  me  one  side  and 
tell  me  that  he's  glad  of  it;  he  felt  all  along  I  was 
the  right  feller  for  the  job,  and  if  there's  anything 
he  can  do  to  make  things  easier  for  me  just  call  on 
him.  That's  the  way  I  size  it  up,  anyhow." 

"  Cy,  I  never  see  anybody  like  you.  You're  dead 
set  against  Heman,  and  have  been  right  along.  And 
he's  never  done  anything  to  you,  fur's  I  see.  He's 
given  a  lot  to  the  town,  and  he's  always  been  the 
most  looked-up-to  man  we've  got.  Joe  Dimick  and 
two  or  three  more  chronic  growls  have  been  the  only 
ones  to  sling  out  hints  against  him,  till  you  come. 
Course  I'm  working*  for  you,  tooth  and  nail,  and  I 
will  say  that  you  seem  to  be  gettin'  the  votes  some 
way  or  other.  But  if  Heman  should  step  right  out 
and  say:  '  Feller  citizens,  I'm  behind  Tad  Simpson 
in  this  fight,  and  as  a  favor  to  me  and  'cause  I  think 
it's  right  and  best,  I  want  'Lonzo  Snow  elected ' — 
well,  /  don't  believe  you'd  have  more'n  one  jack  and 
a  ten  spot  to  count  for  game." 

"  Probably  not,  Ase;  I  presume  likely  not.  But 
you  take  a  day  off  some  time  and  see  if  you  can  re 
member  that  Heman  ever  stepped  right  out  and  said 
things.  Blame  it !  that's  just  it.  As  for  why  he 
riles  me  up  and  makes  me  stubborn  as  a  balky  mule, 
I  don't  know  exactly.  All  I'm  sure  is  that  he  does. 

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A   LETTER    AND   A   VISITOR 

Maybe  it's  'cause  I  don't  like  the  way  he  wears  his 
whiskers.  Maybe  it's  because  he's  so  top-lofty  and 
condescendin'.  A  feller  can  whistle  to  me  and  say: 
*  Come  on,  Bill,'  and  I'll  trot  at  his  heels  all  day. 
But  when  he  pats  me  on  the  head  and  says :  '  There  I 
there !  nice  doggie.  Go  under  the  bed  and  lay  down,' 
my  back  bristles  up  and  I  commence  to  growl  right 
off.  There's  consider'ble  Whittaker  in  me,  as  I've 
told  you  before." 

The  town  clerk  pondered  over  this  rather  unsat 
isfactory  line  of  reasoning  for  some  minutes.  His 
companion  fitted  a  wooden  chimney  on  the  doll 
house,  found  it  a  trifle  out  of  plumb,  and  proceeded 
to  whittle  a  shaving  off  the  lower  edge.  Then  Asaph 
sighed,  as  one  who  gives  up  a  perplexing  riddle,  put 
his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  produced  a  bundle  of 
papers. 

"  I  made  out  a  list  of  fellers  down  to  the  east'ard 
that  I'm  goin'  to  see  this  afternoon,"  he  said. 
"  Some  of  'em  I  guess  '11  vote  for  you,  but  most  of 
'em  are  pretty  sartin'  for  'Lonzo.  However,  I — 
Where  is  that  list?  I  had  it  somewhere's.  And — 
well,  I  swan !  I  come  pretty  near  forgettin'  it  my 
self.  I'm  'most  as  bad  as  Bailey." 

From  the  bundle  of  papers  he  produced  a  crum 
pled  envelope. 

'  That  Bailey,"  he  observed,  "  must  be  in  love,  I 
cal'late,  though  I  don't  know  who  with.  Ketury,  I 
s'pose,  'cordin'  to  law  and  order,  but —  Well,  any- 

179 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

how,  he's  gettin'  more  absent-minded  all  the  time. 
Here's  a  letter  for  you,  Cy,  that  he  got  at  the  post- 
office  a  week  ago  Monday.  'Twas  the  night  of  the 
church  sociable,  and  he  had  on  his  Sunday  cutaway, 
and  he  ain't  worn  it  sence,  till  the  party  yesterday. 
When  he  took  off  the  coat,  goin'  to  bed,  the  letter 
fell  out  of  it.  I  guess  he  was  ashamed  to  fetch  it 
round  himself,  so  he  asked  me  to  do  it.  Better  late 
than  never,  hey?  Here's  that  list  at  last." 

He  produced  the  list  and  handed  it  to  the  captain 
for  inspection.  The  latter  looked  it  over,  made  a 
few  comments  and  suggestions,  and  told  his  friend 
to  heave  ahead  and  land  as  many  of  the  listed  as 
possible.  This  Mr.  Tidditt  promised  to  do,  and, 
replacing  the  papers  in  his  pocket,  started  for  the 
gate. 

"Oh!     Say,  Ase!" 

The  town  clerk,  his  hand  on  the  gate  latch,  turned. 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  "  he  asked.  "  Don't  keep  me 
no  longer'n  you  can  help.  I  got  work  to  do,  I 
have." 

"  All  right,  I  won't  stop  you.  Only  fallin'  in  love 
is  kind  of  epidemic  down  at  the  boardin'  house,  I 
guess.  Who  is  it  that's  got  you  in  tow — Matildy?  " 

"What  are  you  talkin'  about?  Didn't  I  tell  you 
to  quit  namin'  me  with  Matildy  Tripp?  I  like  a 
joke  as  well  as  most  folks,  but  when  it's  wore  into 
the  ground  I— 

"  Sho,  sho !  Don't  get  mad.  It's  your  own  fault. 
1 80 


A   LETTER   AND    A   VISITOR 

iYou  said  that  absent-mindedness  was  a  love  symp 
tom,  so  I  just  got  to  thinkin',  that's  all.  That  let 
ter  that  Bailey  forgot — you  haven't  given  it  to  me 
yet." 

Asaph  turned  red  and  hastily  snatched  the  papers 
from  his  pocket.  He  strode  back  to  the  door  of  the 
woodshed,  handed  his  friend  the  crumpled  envelope, 
and  stalked  off  without  another  word.  The  cap 
tain  chuckled,  laid  the  letter  on  the  bench  beside 
him  and  went  on  with  his  work.  It  was  perhaps 
ten  minutes  later  when,  happening  to  glance  at  the 
postmark  on  the  envelope,  he  saw  that  it  was  "  Con 
cord,  N.  H." 

Asaph's  vote-gathering  trip  "  to  the  east'ard " 
made  a  full  day  for  him.  He  returned  to  the  per 
fect  boarding  house  just  at  supper  time.  During 
the  meal  he  realized  that  Mr.  Bangs  seemed  to  be 
trying  to  attract  his  attention.  Whenever  he  glanced 
in  that  gentleman's  direction  his  glance  was  met  by 
winks  and  mystifying  shakes  of  the  head.  Losing 
patience  at  last,  he  demanded  to  know  what  was  the 
matter. 

"  Want  to  say  somethin'  to  me,  do  you?  "  he  in 
quired  briskly.  "If  you  do,  out  with  it!  Don't 
set  there  workin'  your  face  as  if  'twas  wound  up, 
like  a  clockwork  image." 

This  remark  had  the  effect  of  turning  all  the 
other  faces  toward  Bailey's.  He  was  very  much 
upset. 

181 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  No,  no !  "  he  stammered.  "  No,  no !  I  don't 
want  you  for  nothin'.  Was  I  makin'  my  face  go? 
I — I  didn't  know  it.  I've  been  washin'  carriages 
and  cleanin'  up  the  barn  all  day  and  I  cal'late  I've 
overdone.  I'm  gettin'  old,  and  hard  work's  likely 
to  bring  on  shakin'  palsy  to  old  folks." 

His  wife  tartly  observed  that,  if  work  was  the 
cause  of  it,  she  guessed  he  was  safe  from  palsy  for 
quite  a  spell  yet.  At  any  rate,  a  marked  recovery 
set  in  and  he  signaled  no  more  during  the  meal.  But 
when  it  was  over,  and  his  task  as  dish-wiper  com 
pleted,  he  hurried  out  of  doors  and  found  Mr.  Tid- 
ditt,  shivering  in  the  November  wind,  on  the  front 
porch. 

"Now  what  is  it?"  asked  Asaph  sharply.  "I 
know  there's  somethin'  and  I've  froze  to  death  by 
sections  waitin'  to  hear  it." 

"  Have  you  seen  Cy?"  whispered  Bailey,  glanc 
ing  fearfully  over  his  shoulder  at  the  lighted  win 
dows  of  the  house. 

"  No,  not  sence  mornin'.     Why?" 

"  Well,  there's  somethin'  the  matter  with  him. 
Somethin'  serious.  I  was  swabbin'  decks  in  the  barn 
about  eleven  o'clock,  when  he  come  postin'  in,  white 
and  shaky,  and  so  nervous  he  couldn't  stand  still. 
Looked  as  if  he  had  had  a  stroke  almost.  I " 

"  Godfrey  scissors !  You  don't  s'pose  Heman's 
comin'  back  has  knocked  out  his  chances  for  the 
committee,  do  you?  " 

182 


A    LETTER    AND   A   VISITOR 

"  No,  sir-ee !  'twan't  that.  Cy's  anxious  to  be 
elected  and  all,  but  you  know  his  politics  are  more 
of  a  joke  with  him  than  anything  else.  And  any 
rap  Heman  or  Tad  could  give  him  would  only  make 
him  fight  harder.  And  he  wouldn't  talk  politics  at 
all;  didn't  seem  to  give  a  durn  about  'em,  one  way 
or  t'other.  No,  'twas  somethin'  about  that  letter, 
the  one  I  forgot  so  long.  He  wanted  to  know  why 
in  time  I  hadn't  given  it  to  him  when  it  fust  come. 
He  was  real  ugly  about  it,  for  him,  and  kept  pacin* 
up  and  down  the  barn  floor  and  layin'  into  me,  till 
I  begun  to  think  he  was  crazy.  I  guess  he  see  my 
feelin's  were  hurt,  'cause,  just  afore  he  left,  he  held 
out  his  hand  and  said  I  mustn't  mind  his  talk;  he'd 
been  knocked  on  his  beam  ends,  he  said,  and  wan't 
really  responsible." 

;<  Wouldn't  he  say  what  had  knocked  him?" 
"  No,  couldn't  get  nothin'  out  of  him.    And  when 
he  quit  he  went  off  toward  home,  slappin'  his  fists 
together  and  actin'  as  if  he  didn't  see  the  road  across 
his  bows.     Now,  you  know  how  cool  and  easy  goin' 
Whit  generally  is.     I  swan  to  man,  Ase!  he  made 
me  so  sorry  for  him  I  didn't  know  what  to  do." 
"  Ain't  you  been  up  to  see  him  sence  ?  " 
"  No,  Ketury  was  sot  on  havin'  the  barn  cleaned, 
and  she  stood  over  me  with  a  rope's  end,   as  you 
might  say.     I  couldn't  get  away  a  minute,  though  I 
made  up  more'n  a  dozen  errands  at  Simmons's  and 
the  like  of  that.     You  hold  on  till  I  sneak  into  the 

183 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

entry  and  get  my  cap  and  we'll  put  for  there  now. 
I  won't  be  but  a  jiffy.     I'm  worried." 

They  entered  the  yard  of  the  Cy  Whittaker  place 
together  and  approached  the  side  door.  As  they 
stood  on  the  steps  Asaph  touched  his  chum  on  the 
arm  and  pointed  to  the  window  beside  them.  The 
shade  was  half  drawn  and  beneath  it  they  had  a  clear 
view  of  the  interior  of  the  sitting  room.  Captain 
Cy  was  in  the  rocker  before  the  stove,  holding  Bos'n 
in  his  arms.  The  child  was  sound  asleep,  her  yel 
low  braid  hanging  over  the  captain's  broad  shoulder. 
He  was  gazing  down  into  her  face  with  a  look  which 
was  so  full  of  yearning  and  love  that  it  brought  a 
choke  into  the  throats  of  the  pair  who  saw  it. 

They  entered  the  dining  room.  The  captain  " 
sprang  from  his  chair  and,  still  holding  the  little 
girl  close  against  his  breast,  met  them  at  the  sitting- 
room  door.  When  he  saw  who  the  visitors  were, 
he  caught  his  breath,  almost  with  a  sob,  and  seemed 
relieved. 

"S-s-h-h!"  he  whispered  warningly.  "She's 
asleep." 

The  members  of  the  Board  of  Strategy  nodded 
understandingly  and  sat  down  upon  the  sofa.  Cap 
tain  Cy  tiptoed  to  the  bedroom,  turned  back  the  bed 
clothes  with  one  hand  and  laid  Bos'n  down.  They 
saw  him  tuck  her  carefully  in  and  then  stoop  and 
kiss  her.  He  returned  to  the  sitting  room  and  closed 
the  door  behind  him. 

184 


"  We  see  she  was  asleep  afore  we  come  in,"  ex 
plained  Asaph.  "  We  see  you  and  her  through  the 
window." 

The  captain  looked  hurriedly  at  the  window  indi 
cated.  Then  he  stepped  over  and  pulled  the  shade 
down  to  the  sill,  doing  the  same  with  the  curtains 
of  the  other  two  windows. 

'What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Bailey,  trying  to 
be  facetious.  "  'Fraid  of  'Lonzo's  crowd  spyin' 
on  us?  " 

Captain  Cy  did  not  reply.  He  did  not  even 
sit  down,  but  remained  standing,  his  back  to  the 
stove. 

"Well?"  he  asked  shortly.  "Did  you  fellers 
want  to  see  me  for  anything  'special?" 

:<  Wanted  to  see  what  had  struck  you  all  to  once," 
replied  Mr.  Tidditt.  u  Bailey  says  you  scared  him 
half  to  death  this  forenoon.  And  you  look  now  as 
if  somebody's  ghost  had  riz  and  hollered  '  Boo !  ' 
at  you.  For  the  land  sakes,  Whit,  what  is  it?  " 

The  captain  drew  his  hand  across  his  forehead. 

"  Ghost?  "  he  repeated  absently.  "  No,  I  haven't 
seen  a  ghost.  There !  there !  don't  mind  me.  I  ain't 
real  well  to-day,  I  guess."  He  smiled  crookedly. 

"  Don't  you  want  to  hear  about  my  vote-grabbin' 
cruise?"  asked  Tidditt.  "I  was  flatterin'  myself 
you'd  be  tickled  to  hear  I'd  done  so  well.  Why, 
even  Marcellus  Parker  says  he  may  vote  for  you — 
if  he  makes  up  his  mind  that  way." 
14  185 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Marcellus  was  a  next-door  neighbor  of  Alonzo 
Snow's.  But  Captain  Cy  didn't  seem  to  care. 

"Hey?"  he  murmured.     "Yes.     Well?" 

"  Well!  Is  that  all  you've  got  to  say?  Are  you 
really  sick,  Cy?  Or  is  Bos'n  sick?  " 

u  No !  "  was  the  answer,  almost  fierce  in  its  utter 
ance.  "  She  isn't  sick.  Don't  be  a  fool." 

"What's  foolish  about  that?  I  didn't  know  but 
she  might  be.  There's  mumps  in  town  and " 

"She's  all  right;  so  shut  up,  will  you!  There, 
Ase!"  he  added.  "I'm  the  fool  myself.  Don't 
mind  my  barkin';  I  don't  mean  it.  I  am  about  sick, 
I  cal'late.  Be  better  to-morrer,  maybe." 

"What's  got  into  you?  Was  that  letter  of 
Bailey's " 

"  Hush !  "  The  captain  held  up  his  hand.  "  I 
thought  I  heard  a  team." 

"  Depot  wagon,  most  likely,"  said  Bailey.  "  About 
time  for  it!  Humph!  seems  to  be  stoppin',  don't  it? 
Was  you  expectin'  anybody?  Shall  I  go  and " 

"No!     Set  still." 

The  pair  on  the  sofa  sat  still.  Captain  Cy  stood 
like  a  statue  in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  He  squared 
his  shoulders  and  jammed  his  clenched  fists  into 
his  pockets.  Steps  crunched  the  gravel  of  the 
walk.  There  came  a  knock  at  the  door  of  the 
dining  room. 

Walking  steadily,  but  with  a  face  set  as  the  figure 
head  on  one  of  his  own  ships,  the  captain  went  to 

186 


A   LETTER   AND   A   VISITOR 

answer  the  knock.  They  heard  the  door  open,  and 
then  a  man's  voice  asked: 

"Is  this  Cap'n  Whittaker?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  short  answer. 

"  Well,  Cap,  I  guess  you  don't  know  me,  though 
maybe  you  know  some  of  my  family.  Ha,  ha ! 
Don't  understand  that,  hey?  Well,  you  let  me  in 
and  I'll  explain  the  joke." 

The  captain's  reply  was  calm  and  deliberate. 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  understood  it,"  he  said. 
"  Come  in.  Don't — "  The  remainder  of  the  sen 
tence  was  whispered  and  the  listeners  on  the  sofa 
could  not  hear  it.  A  moment  later  Captain  Cy  en 
tered  the  sitting  room,  followed  by  his  caller. 

The  latter  was  a  stranger.  He  was  a  broad- 
shouldered  man  of  medium  height,  with  a  yellowish 
mustache  and  brown  hair.  He  was  dressed  in  rather 
shabby  clothes,  without  an  overcoat,  and  he  had  a 
soft  felt  hat  in  his  hand.  The  most  noticeable  thing 
about  him  was  a  slight  hesitancy  in  his  walk.  He 
was  not  lame,  he  did  not  limp,  yet  his  left  foot 
seemed  to  halt  for  an  instant  as  he  brought  It  for 
ward  in  the  step.  They  learned  afterwards  that  it 
had  been  hurt  in  a  mine  cave-in.  He  carried  himself 
with  a  swagger,  and,  after  his  entrance,  there  was  a 
perceptible  aroma  of  alcohol  in  the  room. 

He  stared  at  the  Board  of  Strategy  and  the  stare 
was  returned  in  full  measure.  Bailey  and  Asaph 
were  wildly  curious.  They,  of  course,  connected  the 

187 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

stranger's  arrival  with  the  mysterious  letter  and  the 
captain's  perturbation  of  the  day. 

But  their  curiosity  was  not  to  be  satisfied,  at  least 
not  then. 

"How  are  you,  gents?"  hailed  the  newcomer 
cheerfully.  "  Like  the  looks  of  me,  do  you?" 

Captain  Cy  cut  off  further  conversation. 

"  Ase,"  he  said,  "  this — er — gentleman  and  I  have 
got  some  business  to  talk  over.  I  know  you're  good 
enough  friends  of  mine  not  to  mind  if  I  ask  you  to 
clear  out.  You'll  understand.  You  will  understand, 
boys,  won't  you?"  he  added,  almost  entreatingly. 

"  Sartin  sure!"  replied  Mr.  Tidditt,  rising  hur 
riedly.  "  Don't  say  another  word,  Whit."  And  the 
mystified  Bangs  concurred  with  a  "  Yes,  yes!  Why, 
of  course !  Didn't  have  nothin'  that  amounts  to 
nothin'  to  stay  for  anyhow.  See  you  to-morrer,  Cy." 

Outside  and  at  the  gate  they  stopped  and  looked 
at  each  other. 

"Well!"  exclaimed  Asaph.  "If  that  ain't  the 
strangest  thing!  Who  was  that  feller?  Where'd 
he  come  from?  Did  you  notice  how  Cy  acted? 
Seemed  to  be  holdin'  himself  in  by  main  strength." 

"Did  you  smell  the  rum  on  him?"  returned 
Bailey.  "  On  that  t'other  chap,  I  mean?  Didn't  he 
look  like  a  reg'lar  no-account  to  you  ?  And  say,  Ase, 
didn't  he  remind  you  of  somebody  you'd  seen  some- 
wheres — kind  of,  in  a  way?" 

They  walked  home  in  a  dazed  state,  asking  un- 


A   LETTER    AND   A   VISITOR 

answerable  questions  and  making  profitless  guesses. 
But  Asaph's  final  remark  seemed  to  sum  up  the 
situation. 

"  There's  trouble  comin'  of  this,  Bailey,"  he  de 
clared.  "  And  it's  trouble  for  Cy  Whittaker,  I'm 
afraid.  Poor  old  Cy!  Well,  we'll  stand  by  him, 
anyhow.  I  don't  believe  he'll  sleep  much  to-night. 
Didn't  look  as  though  he  would,  did  he?  Who  is 
that  feller?" 

If  he  had  seen  Captain  Cy,  at  two  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  sitting  by  Bos'n's  bedside  and  gazing 
hopelessly  at  the  child,  he  would  have  realized  that, 
if  his  former  predictions  were  wiped  off  the  slate  and 
he  could  be  judged  by  the  one  concerning  the  cap 
tain's  sleepless  night,  he  might  thereafter  pose  as  a 
true  prophet. 


CHAPTER   XI 

A   BARGAIN    OFF 

MORNIN',  Georgianna,"  said  Captain  Cy 
to  his  housekeeper  as  the  latter  unlocked 
the  back  door  of  the  Whittaker  house 
next  morning.  "  I'm  a  little  ahead  of  you  this 
time." 

Miss  Taylor,  being  Bayport  born  and  bred,  was 
an  early  riser.  She  lodged  with  her  sister,  in  Bas- 
sett's  Hollow,  a  good  half  mile  from  the  Cy  Whit- 
taker  place,  but  she  was  always  on  hand  at  the  latter 
establishment  by  six  each  morning,  except  Sundays. 
Now  she  glanced  quickly  at  the  clock.  The  time  was 
ten  minutes  to  six. 

"  Land  sakes !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  should  say 
you  was !  What  in  the  world  got  you  up  so  early  ? 
Ain't  sick,  are  you?  " 

"  No,"  replied  the  captain  wearily.  "  I  ain't 
sick.  I  didn't  sleep  very  well  last  night,  that's  all." 

Georgianna  looked  sharply  at  him.  His  face  was 
haggard  and  his  eyes  had  dark  circles  under  them. 

"Humph!"  she  grunted.  "No,  I  guess  you 
didn't.  Looks  to  me  as  if  you'd  been  up  all  night." 

190 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

Then  she  added  an  anxious  query:  "  'Tain't  Bos'n 
— she  ain't  sick,  I  hope?  " 

"  No.  She's  all  right.  I  say,  Georgianna,  you 
put  on  an  extry  plate  this  mornin'.  Got  company 
for  breakfast." 

The  housekeeper  was  surprised. 

"  For  breakfast?  "  she  repeated.  "  Land  of  good 
ness!  who's  comin'  for  breakfast?  I  never  heard 
of  company  droppin'  in  for  breakfast.  That's  one 
meal  folks  generally  get  to  home.  Who  is  it?  Mr. 
Tidditt?  Has  Ketury  turned  him  out  door  because 
he's  too  bad  an  example  for  her  husband?" 

"  No,  'tain't  Ase.  It's  a — a  friend  of  mine.  Well, 
not  exactly  a  friend,  maybe,  but  an  acquaintance 
from  out  of  town.  He  came  last  evenin'.  He's 
up  in  the  spare  bedroom." 

"Well,  I  never!  Come  unexpected,  didn't  he? 
I  wish  I'd  known  he  was  comin'.  That  spare  room 
bed  ain't  been  aired  I  don't  know  when." 

"  I  guess  he  can  stand  it.  I  cal'late  he's  slept  in 
consider'ble  worse — Hum !  Yes,  he  did  come  kind 
of  sudden." 

"What's  his  name?" 

''  What  difference  does  that  make?  I  don't  know's 
his  name  makes  any  odds  about  gettin'  his  break 
fast  for  him." 

Georgianna  was  hurt.  Her  easy-going  employer 
had  never  used  this  tone  before  when  addressing 
her. 

191 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Oh!  "  she  sniffed.  "  Is  that  the  way  you  feel? 
All  right !  I  can  mind  my  own  business,  thank 
you.  I  only  asked  because  it's  convenient  some 
times  to  know  whether  to  call  a  person  Bill  Smith 
or  Sol  Jones.  But  I  don't  care  if  it's  Nebuchad 
nezzar.  I  know  when  to  keep  my  tongue  still,  I 
guess." 

She  flounced  over  to  the  range.  Captain  Cy 
looked  ashamed  of  himself. 

"  I'm  kind  of  out  of  sorts  to-day,"  he  said.  "  Got 
some  headache.  Why,  his  name  is — is — yes,  'tis 
Smith,  come  to  think  of  it — John  Smith.  Funny 
you  should  guess  right,  wan't  it?" 

"Humph!"  was  the  ungracious  answer. 
"  Names  don't  interest  me,  I  tell  you." 

The  captain  was  in  the  dining  room  when  Bos'n 
appeared. 

"  Good     morning,     Uncle     Cyrus,"      she     said. 
'  You've  been  waiting,  haven't  you  ?     Am  I  late  ? 
I  didn't  mean  to  be." 

"No,  no!  you  ain't  late.  Early,  if  anything. 
Breakfast  ain't  quite  ready  yet.  Come  here  and  set 
in  my  lap.  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

He  took  her  on  his  knee.  She  looked  up  into  his 
face. 

"What's    the    matter,    Uncle    Cy?"    she    asked. 
'  What  makes  you  so  sober?  " 

"Sober?  If  you  ain't  the  oldest  young  one  for 
eight  years  I  ever  saw!  Why,  I  ain't  sober.  No, 

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A    BARGAIN    OFF 

no !  Say,  Bos'n,  do  you  like  your  school  as  well  as 
ever?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     I  like  it  better  all  the  time." 

"  Do,  hey?  And  that  teacher  woman — go  on 
likin'  her?" 

The  child  nodded  emphatically.  "  Yes,  sir,"  she 
said.  "  And  I  haven't  been  kept  after  since  that 
once." 

"Sho!  sho!  Course  you  ain't!  So  you  think 
Bayport's  as  nice  as  Concord,  do  you?  " 

"Oh!  lots  nicer!  If  mamma  was  only  here  I'd 
never  want  to  be  anywhere  else.  And  not  then, 
maybe,  unless  you  was  there,  too." 

"  Hum  !  Want  to  know!  Say,  Bos'n,  how  would 
you  feel  if  you  had  to  go  somewheres  else?  " 

'To  live?  Have  we  got  to?  I'd  feel  dreadful, 
of  course.  But  if  you've  got  to  go,  Uncle  Cyrus, 
why " 

"Me?  No;  I  ain't  got  to  go  anywheres.  But 
'twas  you  I  was  thinkin'  of.  Wouldn't  want  to  leave 
the  old  man,  hey?  " 

'  To  leave  youl     Oh,  Uncle  Cyrus!  " 

She  was  staring  at  him  now  and  her  chin  was 
trembling. 

"  Uncle,"  she  demanded,  "  you  ain't  going  to  send 
me  away?  Haven't  I  been  a  good  girl?" 

The  captain's  lips  shut  tight.  He  waited  a  mo 
ment  before  replying.  "  'Deed  you've  been  a  good 
girl!"  he  said  brusquely.  "I  never  saw  a  better 

193 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

one.     No,  I  ain't  goin'  to  send  you  away.     Don't 
you  worry  about  that." 

"  But  Alicia  Atkins  said  one  time  you  told  some 
body  you  was  going  to  send  me  out  West,  after  a 
while.  I  didn't  believe  it,  then,  she's  so  mean,  but 
she  said  you  said " 

"  Said!  "  Captain  Cy  groaned.  "  The  Lord 
knows  what  I  ain't  said !  I've  been  a  fool,  dearie, 
and  it's  a  judgment  on  me,  I  guess." 

"  But  ain't  you  goin'  to  keep  me?     I — I— 

She  sobbed.     The  captain  stroked  her  hair. 

"Keep  you?"  he  muttered.  "Yes,  by  the  big 
dipper!  I'm  goin'  to  keep  you,  if  I  can — if  I  can." 

"  Hello!  "  said  a  voice.  The  pair  looked  up.  The 
man  who  had  arrived  on  the  previous  night  stood 
in  the  sitting-room  doorway.  How  long  he  had  been 
standing  there  the  captain  did  not  know.  What  he 
did  know  was  that  Mr.  John  Smith  by  daylight  was 
not  more  prepossessing  than  the  same  individual 
viewed  by  the  aid  of  a  lamp. 

Emily  saw  the  stranger  and  slid  from  Captain 
Cy's  knees.  The  captain  rose. 

"  Bos'n,"  he  said,  "this  is  Mr.  —  er  —  Smith, 
who's  goin'  to  make  us  a  little  visit.  I  want  you  to 
shake  hands  with  him." 

The  girl  dutifully  approached  Mr.  Smith  and 
extended  her  hand.  He  took  it  and  held  it  in 
his  own. 

"  Is  this  the — "  he  began. 
194 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

Captain  Cy  bowed  assent. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  visitor's 
face.  "  Yes.  Don't  forget  what  you  said  last 
night." 

Smith  shook  his  head. 

"  No,"  he  replied.  "  I  ain't  the  kind  that  for 
gets,  unless  it  pays  pretty  well.  There's  some  things 
I've  remembered  for  quite  a  few  years." 

He  looked  the  child  over  from  head  to  foot  and 
his  brows  drew  together  in  an  ugly  frown. 

"So  this  is  her,  hey?"  he  muttered  musingly. 
"  Humph!  Well,  I  don't  know  as  I'd  have  guessed 
it.  Favors  the  other  side  of  the  house  more — the 
respectable  side,  I  should  say.  Still,  there's  a  little 
brand  of  the  lost  sheep,  hey?  Enough  to  prove 
property,  huh?  Mark  of  the  beast,  I  s'pose  the 
psalm-singin'  relations  would  call  it.  D — n  em! 
I " 

"Steady!"  broke  in  the  captain.  Mr.  Smith 
started,  seemed  to  remember  where  he  was,  and  his 
manner  changed. 

"  Come  and  see  me,  honey,"  he  coaxed,  drawing 
the  girl  toward  him  by  the  hand  he  was  holding. 
"  Ain't  you  got  a  nice  kiss  for  me  this  fine  mornin'? 
Don't  be  scared.  I  won't  bite." 

Bos'n  looked  shrinkingly  at  Mr.  Smith's  unshaven 
cheeks  and  then  at  Captain  Cy.  The  latter's  face 
was  absolutely  devoid  of  expression.  He  merely 
nodded. 

195 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

So  Emily  kissed  one  of  the  bristling  cheeks. 
The  kiss  was  returned  full  upon  the  mouth.  She 
wiped  her  lips  and  darted  away  to  her  chair  by  the 
table. 

"What's  your  hurry?"  inquired  the  visitor. 
"  Don't  I  do  it  right?  Been  some  time  since  I  kissed 
a  girl — a  little  one,  anyhow,"  he  added,  winking  at 
his  host.  "  Never  mind,  we'll  know  each  other  bet 
ter  by  and  by." 

He  looked  on  in  wondering  disgust  as  Bos'n  said 
her  "  grace." 

"What  in  blazes!  "  he  burst  out  when  the  little 
blessing  was  finished.  "Who  put  her  up  to  that? 
A  left-over  from  the  psalm-singers,  is  it?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  the  captain,  speaking 
with  deliberation.  "  I  do  know  that  I  like  to  have 
her  do  it  and  that  she  shall  do  it  as  long's  she's  at 
this  table." 

"Oh!  she  shall,  hey?    Well,  I  reckon- 

"  She  shall — as  long  as  she's  at  this  table.  Is  that 
real  plain  and  understandable,  or  shall  I  write  it 
down?" 

There  was  an  icy  clearness  in  the  captain's  tone 
which  seemed  to  freeze  further  conversation  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Smith.  He  merely  grunted  and  ate  his 
breakfast  in  silence.  He  ate  a  great  deal  and  ate  it 
rapidly. 

Bos'n  departed  for  school  when  the  meal  was 
over.  Captain  Cy  helped  her  on  with  her  coat  and 

196 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

hood.     Then,   as  he  always  did  of  late,  he  kissed 
her  good-by. 

"  Hi !  "  called  Mr.  Smith  from  the  sitting  room. 
"Ain't  I  in  on  that?  If  there's  any  kisses  goin'  I 
want  to  take  a  hand  before  the  deal's  over." 

"  Must  I?  "  whispered  Bos'n  pleadingly.  "  Must 
I,  Uncle  Cy?  I  don't  want  to.  I  don't  like  him." 

"Come  on!"  called  Mr.  Smith.  "I'm  gettin' 
over  my  bashfulness  fast.  Hurry  up !  " 

"Must  I  kiss  him,  Uncle  Cyrus?"  whispered 
Bos'n.  "MttJf  I?" 

"  No !  "  snapped  the  captain  sharply.  "  Trot 
right  along  now,  dearie.  Be  a  good  girl.  Good- 
by." 

He  entered  the  sitting  room.  His  guest  had 
found  the  Sunday  box  and  was  lighting  one  of  his 
host's  cigars. 

;<  Well,"  he  inquired  easily,  "  what's  next  on  the 
bill?  Anything  goin'  on  in  this  forsaken  hole?" 

'  There's  a  barber  shop  down  the  road.  You 
might  go  there  first,  I  should  say.  Not  that  you 
need  it,  but  just  as  a  novelty  like." 

"Humph!  I  don't  know.  What's  the  matter 
with  your  razor?  " 

'  Nothin'.  At  least  I  ain't  found  anything  wrong 
with  it  yet." 

"  Oh !  Say,  look  here !  you're  a  queer  guy,  you 
are.  I  ain't  got  you  right  in  my  mind  yet.  One 
minute  butter  wouldn't  melt  in  your  mouth,  and  the 

197 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

next  you're  fresh  as  a  new  egg.  What  is  your  little 
game,  anyway?  You've  got  one,  so  don't  tell  me 
you  ain't." 

Captain  Cy  was  plainly  embarrassed.  He  gazed 
at  the  "  Shore  to  Shore  "  picture  on  the  wall  as  he 
answered. 

"  No  game  about  it,"  he  said.  "  Last  night  you 
and  I  agreed  that  nothin'  was  to  be  said  for  a  few 
days.  You  was  to  stay  here  and  I'd  try  to  make 
you  comfort'ble,  that's  all.  Then  we'd  see  about 
that  other  matter,  settle  on  a  fair  price,  and " 

"  Yes,  I  know.  That's  all  right.  But  ]-ou're  too 
willin'.  There's  something  else.  Say!"  The  ugly 
scowl  was  in  evidence  again.  "  Say,  look  here,  you ! 
you  ain't  got  somethin'  up  your  sleeve,  have  you? 
There  ain't  somethin'  more  that  I  don't  know  about, 
is  there?  No  more  secrets  than  that " 

"No!  You  hear  me?  No!  You'll  get  your 
rights,  and  maybe  a  little  more  than  your  rights,  if 
you're  decent.  And  it'll  pay  you  to  be  decent." 

"  Humph !  "  Mr.  Smith  seemed  to  be  thinking. 
Then  he  added,  looking  up  keenly  under  his  brows: 
"  How  about  the — the  incumbrance  on  the  property? 
Of  course,  when  I  go  I'll  have  to  take  that  with  me, 
and " 

Captain  Cy  interrupted. 

"  There !  there !  "  he  exclaimed,  and  there  was  a 
shake  in  his  voice,  "there!  there!  Don't  let's  talk 
about  such  things  now.  I — I —  Let's  wait  a  spell. 

198 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

We'll  have  some  more  plans  to  make,  maybe.  If 
you  want  to  use  my  razor  it's  right  in  that  drawer. 
Just  help  yourself." 

The  visitor  laughed  aloud.  He  nodded  as  if  sat 
isfied.  "  Ho!  ho!  "he  chuckled.  "I  see!  Humph! 
yes — I  see.  The  fools  ain't  all  dead,  and  there's 
none  to  beat  an  old  one.  Well !  well !  All  right, 
pard!  I  guess  you  and  me'll  get  along  fine.  I've 
changed  my  mind;  I  will  go  to  the  barber  shop, 
after  all.  Only  I'm  a  little  shy  of  dust  just  at  pres 
ent.  So,  to  oblige  a  friend,  maybe  you'll  hand  over, 
huh?" 

The  captain  reached  into  his  pocket,  extracted  a 
two-dollar  bill,  and  passed  it  to  the  speaker.  Mr. 
Smith  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

'  You  can't  come  in  on  that,  pard,"  he  said. 
"  The  limit's  five." 

Captain  Cy  took  back  the  bill  and  exchanged  it 
for  one  with  a  V  in  each  corner.  The  visitor  took 
it  and  turned  toward  the  door. 

*  Ta !  ta !  "  he  said,  taking  his  hat  from  the  peg 
in  the  dining  room.  "  I'm  off  for  the  clippers. 
When  I  come  back  I'll  be  the  sweetest  little  Willie 
in  the  diggin's.  So  long." 

Bos'n  and  the  captain  sat  down  to  the  dinner  at 
noon  alone.  Mr.  Smith  had  not  returned  from  his 
trip  to  the  barber's.  He  came  in,  however,  just  be 
fore  the  meal  was  over,  still  in  an  unshorn  condition, 
somewhat  flushed  and  very  loquacious. 

199 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Say!  "  he  exclaimed  genially.  "  That  Simpson's 
the  right  sort,  ain't  he?  Him  and  me  took  a  shine 
to  each  other  from  the  go-off.  He's  been  West  him 
self  and  he's  got  some  width  to  him.  He's  no  psalm 
singer." 

"  Humph !  "  commented  the  captain,  with  delicate 
sarcasm.  "  He  don't  seem  to  be  much  of  a  barber, 
either.  What's  the  matter?  Gone  out  of  business, 
has  he?  Or  was  you  so  wild  or  woolly  he  got  dis 
couraged  before  he  begun?  " 

"  Great  snakes!  "  exclaimed  the  visitor.  "  I  for 
got  all  about  the  clippers !  Well,  that's  one  on  me, 
pard !  I'll  make  a  new  try  soon's  grub's  over. 
Don't  be  so  tight-fisted  with  the  steak;  this  is  a  plate 
I'm  passin',  not  a  contribution  box." 

He  winked  at  Bos'n  and  would  have  chucked  her 
under  the  chin  if  she  had  not  dodged.  She  seemed 
to  have  taken  a  great  aversion  to  Mr.  Smith  and 
was  plainly  afraid  of  him. 

"  Is  he  going  to  stay  very  long,  Uncle  Cyrus?" 
she  whispered,  when  it  was  school  time  once  more. 
"  Do  you  think  he's  nice?  " 

Captain  Cy  did  not  answer.  When  she  had  gone 
and  the  guest  had  risen  from  the  table  and  put  on 
his  hat,  the  captain  said  warningly: 

'  There's  one  little  bit  of  advice  I  want  to  give 
you,  Mister  Man:  A  bargain's  a  bargain,  but  it 
takes  two  to  keep  it.  Don't  let  your  love  for  Tad 
Simpson  lead  you  into  talkin'  too  much.  Talk's 

200 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

cheap,  they  say,  but  too  much  of  it  might  be  mighty 
dear  for  you.  Understand?" 

Smith  patted  him  on  the  back.  "  Lord  love  you, 
pard!"  he  chuckled,  "I'm  no  spring  chicken.  I'm 
as  hard  to  open  as  a  safe,  I  am.  It  takes  a  can 
opener  to  get  anything  out  of  me." 

"Yes;  well,  you  can  get  inside  some  folks  easier 
with  a  corkscrew.  I've  been  told  that  Tad's  a  kind 
of  a  medium  sometimes.  If  he  raises  any  spirits  in 
that  back  room  of  his,  I'd  leave  'em  alone,  if  I  was 
you.  So  long  as  you're  decent,  I'll  put  up  with " 

But  Mr.  Smith  was  on  his  way  to  the  gate,  whis 
tling  as  if  he  hadn't  a  care  in  the  world.  Captain 
Cy  watched  him  go  down  the  road,  and  then,  with 
the  drawn,  weary  look  on  his  face  which  had  been 
there  since  the  day  before,  he  entered  the  sitting  room 
and  threw  himself  into  a  chair. 

Miss  Phoebe  Dawes,  the  school  teacher,  worked 
late  that  evening.  There  were  examination  papers  to 
be  gone  over,  and  experience  had  demonstrated  that 
the  only  place  where  she  could  be  free  from  inter 
ruptions  was  the  schoolroom  itself.  At  the  perfect 
boarding  house  the  shrill  tones  of  Keturah's  voice 
and  those  of  Miss  Phinney  and  Mrs.  Tripp  pene 
trated  through  shut  doors.  It  is  hard  to  figure  per 
centages  when  the  most  intimate  details  of  Bayport's 
family  life  are  being  recited  and  gloated  over  on  the 
other  side  of  a  thin  partition.  And  when  Matilda 
undertook  to  defend  the  Come-Outer  faith  against 
15  201 


the  assaults  of  the  majority,  the  verbal  riot  was,  as 
Mr.  Tidditt  described  it,  "  like  feedin'  time  in  a 
parrot  shop." 

So  Miss  Phoebe  came  to  the  boarding  house  for 
supper  and  then  returned  to  the  schoolroom,  where, 
with  a  lighted  bracket  lamp  beside  her  on  the  desk, 
she  labored  until  nine  o'clock.  Then  she  put  on  her 
coat  and  hat,  extinguished  the  light,  locked  the  door, 
and  started  on  her  lonely  walk  home. 

'  The  main  road  "  in  our  village  is  dark  after 
nine  o'clock.  There  is  a  street  light — a  kerosene 
lamp — on  a  post  in  front  of  the  Methodist  meeting 
house,  but  the  sexton  forgets  it,  generally  speaking, 
or,  at  any  rate,  neglects  to  fill  it  except  at  rare  in 
tervals.  Simmons's  front  windows  are  ablaze,  of 
course,  and  so  are  the  dingy  panes  of  Simpson's 
barber  shop.  But  these  two  centers  of  sociability 
are  both  at  the  depot  road  corner,  and  when  they 
are  passed  the  only  sources  of  illumination  are  the 
scattered  gleams  from  the  back  windows  of  dwell 
ings.  As  most  of  us  retire  by  half-past  eight,  the 
glow  along  the  main  road  is  not  dazzling,  to  say 
the  very  least. 

Miss  Dawes  was  not  afraid  of  the  dark.  She 
had  been  her  own  escort  for  a  good  many  years. 
She  walked  briskly  on,  heard  the  laughter  and  loud 
voices  in  the  barber  shop  die  away  behind  her, 
passed  the  schoolhouse  pond,  now  bleak  and  chill 
with  the  raw  November  wind  blowing  across  it,  and 

202 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

began  to  climb  the  slope  of  Whittaker's  Hill.  And 
here  the  wind,  rushing  in  unimpeded  over  the  flooded 
salt  meadows  from  the  tumbled  bay  outside,  wound 
her  skirts  about  her  and  made  climbing  difficult  and 
breath-taking. 

She  was,  perhaps,  half  way  up  the  long  slope, 
when  she  heard,  in  the  intervals  between  the  gusts, 
footsteps  behind  her.  She  knew  most  of  the  village 
people  by  this  time  and  the  thought  of  company  was 
not  unpleasant.  So  she  paused  and  pantingly  waited 
for  whoever  was  coming.  She  could  not  see  more 
than  a  few  yards,  but  the  footsteps  sounded  nearer 
and  nearer,  and,  a  moment  later,  a  man's  voice 
began  singing  "  Annie  Rooney,"  a  melody  then  past 
its  prime  in  the  cities,  but  popularized  in  Bayport 
by  some  departed  batch  of  summer  boarders. 

She  did  not  recognize  the  voice  and  she  did  not 
particularly  approve  of  singing  in  the  streets,  espe 
cially  such  loud  singing.  So  she  decided  not  to  wait 
longer,  and  was  turning  to  continue  her  climb,  when 
the  person  behind  stopped  his  vocalizing  and  called. 

"  Hi !  "  he  shouted.  "  Hello,  ahead  there !  Who 
is  it?  Hold  on  a  minute,  pard!  I'm  comin'." 

She  disobeyed  the  order  to  "  hold  on,"  and  began 
to  hurry.  The  hurry  was  of  no  avail,  however,  for 
the  follower  broke  into  a  run  and  soon  was  by  her 
side.  He  was  a  stranger  to  her. 

;' Wheel  Wow!  "  he  panted.  "This  is  no  race 
track,  pard.  Pull  up,  and  let's  take  it  easy.  My 

203 


off  leg's  got  a  kink  in  it,  and  I  don't  run  so  easy  as 
I  used  to.  Great  snakes;  what's  your  rush?  Ain't 
you  fond  of  company?  Hello!  I  believe  it's  a 
woman !  " 

She  did  not  answer.  His  manner  and  the  smell 
of  liquor  about  him  were  decidedly  unpleasant.  The 
idea  that  he  might  be  a  tramp  occurred  to  her. 
Tramps  are  our  bugaboos  here  in  Bayport. 

"  A  woman !  "  exclaimed  the  man  hilariously. 
"  Well,  say !  I  didn't  believe  there  was  one  loose 
in  this  tail-end  of  nowhere.  Girlie,  I'm  glad  to  see 
you.  Not  that  I  can  see  you  much,  but  never  mind. 
All  cats  are  gray  in  the  dark,  hey?  You  can't  see 
me,  neither,  so  we'll  take  each  other  on  trust.  '  She's 
my  sweetheart,  I'm  her  beau.'  Say,  Maud,  may  I 
see  you  home?  " 

She  was  frightened  now.  The  Whittaker  place 
on  the  hilltop  was  the  nearest  house,  and  that  was 
some  distance  off. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Carrie?  "  inquired  the  man. 
"  Don't  be  scared.  I  wouldn't  hurt  you.  I'm  just 
lonesome,  that's  all,  and  I  need  society.  Don't 
rush,  you'll  ruin  your  complexion.  Here !  come 
under  my  wing  and  let's  toddle  along  together. 
How's  mamma?  " 

He  seized  her  arm  and  pulled  her  back  beside 
him.  She  tried  to  free  herself,  but  could  not.  Her 
unwelcome  escort  held  her  fast  and  she  was  obliged 
to  move  as  slowly  as  he  did.  It  was  very  dark. 

204 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

"  Say,  what  is  your  name?  "  coaxed  the  man.  "  Is 
is  Maud,  hey?  Or  Julia?  I  always  liked  Julia. 
Don't  be  peevish.  Tell  us,  that's  a  good  girl." 

She  gave  a  quick  jerk  and  managed  to  pull  her 
arm  from  his  grasp,  giving  him  a  violent  push  as 
she  did  so.  He,  being  unsteady  on  his  feet,  tumbled 
down  the  low  bank  which  edged  the  sidewalk.  Then 
she  ran  on  up  the  hill  as  fast  as  she  could.  She 
heard  him  swear  as  he  fell. 

She  had  nearly  reached  the  end  of  the  Whittaker 
fence  when  he  caught  her.  He  was  laughing,  and 
that  alarmed  her  almost  as  much  as  if  he  had  been 
angry. 

"Naughty!  naughty!"  he  chuckled,  holding  her 
fast.  "  Tryin'  to  sneak,  was  you?  Not  much! 
Not  this  time !  Did  you  ever  play  forfeits  when 
you  was  little?  Well,  this  is  a  forfeit  game  and 
you're  It.  You  must  bow  to  the  prettiest,  kneel  to 
the  wittiest,  and  kiss  the  one  you  love  best.  And 
I'll  let  you  off  on  the  first  two.  Come  now !  Pay 
up!" 

Then  she  screamed.  And  her  scream  was  an 
swered  at  once.  A  gate  swung  back  with  a  bang 
and  she  heard  some  one  running  along  the  walk 
toward  her. 

"O  Cap'n  Whittaker!"  she  called.  "Come! 
Come  quick,  please !  " 

How  she  knew  that  the  person  running  toward 
her  was  Captain  Cy  has  not  been  satisfactorily  ex- 

205 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

plained  even  yet.  She  cannot  explain  it  and  neither 
can  the  captain.  And  equally  astonishing  was  the 
latter's  answer.  He  certainly  had  not  heard  her 
voice  often  enough  to  recognize  it  under  such  cir 
cumstances. 

"  All  right,  teacher!  "  he  shouted.  "  I'm  comin' ! 
Let  go  of  that  woman,  you —  Oh,  it's  you,  is  it?  " 

He  had  seized  Mr.  Smith  by  the  coat  collar  and 
jerked  him  away  from  his  victim.  Miss  Dawes  took 
refuge  behind  the  captain's  bulky  form.  The  two 
men  looked  at  each  other.  Smith  was  recovering  his 
breath. 

"It's  you,  is  it?"  repeated  Captain  Cy.  Then, 
turning  to  Miss  Phoebe,  he  asked:  "Did  he  hurt 
you?" 

"  No !  Not  yet.  But  he  frightened  me  dread 
fully.  Who  is  he?  Do  you  know  him?" 

Her  persecutor  answered  the  question. 

'You  bet  your  life  he  knows  me!"  he  snarled. 
"  He  knows  me  mighty  well !  Pard,  you  keep  your 
nose  out  of  this,  d'you  see!  You  mind  your  own 
business.  I  wan't  goin'  to  hurt  her  any." 

The  captain  paid  no  attention  to  him. 

"  Yup,  I  know  him,"  he  said  grimly.  Then 
he  added,  pointing  toward  the  lighted  window  of 
the  house  ahead :  "  You — Smith,  you  go  in  there 
and  stay  there !  Trot !  Don't  make  me  speak 
twice." 

But  Mr.  Smith  was  too  far  gone  with  anger  and 
206 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

the  "  spirits  "  raised  by  Tad  Simpson  to  heed  the 
menace  in  the  words. 

"Smith,  hey?"  he  sneered.  "Oh,  yes,  Smithl 
Well,  Smith  ain't  goin',  d'you  see !  He's  goin'  to 
do  what  he  pleases.  I  reckon  I'm  on  top  of  the 
roost  here!  I  know  what's  what!  You  can't  talk 
to  me.  I've  got  rights,  I  have,  and " 

"  Blast  your  rights!  " 

"What?  What?  Blast  my  rights,  hey?  Oh, 
yes !  Think  because  you've  got  money  you  can  cheat 
me  out  of  'em,  do  you?  Well,  you  can't!  And  how 
about  the  other  part  of  those  rights?  S'pose  I  walk 
right  into  that  house  and " 

"  Stop  it !     Shut  up !     You'd  better  not " 

"And  into  that  bedroom  and  just  say:  'Emmie, 
here's  your '  ' 

He  didn't  finish  the  sentence.  Captain  Cy's  big 
fist  struck  him  fairly  between  the  eyes,  and  the  back 
of  his  head  struck  the  walk  with  a  "  smack !  "  Then, 
through  the  fireworks  which  were  illuminating  his 
muddled  brain,  he  heard  the  captain's  voice. 

'  You  low  -  down,  good  -  for  -  nothin'  scamp !  " 
growled  Captain  Cy.  "  All  this  day  I've  been  hatin' 
myself  for  the  way  I've  acted  to  you.  I've  hated 
myself  and  been  tryin'  to  spunk  up  courage  to  say 
'  It's  all  off ! '  But  I  was  too  much  of  a  coward,  I 
guess.  And  now  the  Lord  A'mighty  has  made  me 
say  it.  You  want  your  rights,  do  you  ?  So  ?  Then 
get  'em  if  you  can.  It's  you  and  me  for  it,  and  we'll 

207 


"'I'll  kill  you  like  a  dog." 

see  who's  the  best  man.  Teacher,  if  you're  ready 
I'll  walk  home  with  you  now." 

Mr.  Smith  was  not  entirely  cowed. 

"You  go!"  he  yelled.  "Go  ahead!  And  I'll 
go  to  a  lawyer's  to-morrow.  But  to-night,  and  in- 

208 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

side  of  five  minutes,   I'll  walk  into  that  house  of 
yours  and  get  my " 

The  captain  dropped  Miss  Dawes's  arm  and 
strode  back  to  where  his  antagonist  was  sitting  in 
the  dust  of  the  walk.  Stooping  down,  he  shook  a 
big  forefinger  in  the  man's  face. 

'  You've  been  out  West,  they  tell  me,"  he  whis 
pered  sternly.  "  Yes !  Well,  out  West  they  take 
the  law  into  their  own  hands,  sometimes,  I  hear. 
I've  been  in  South  America,  and  they  do  it  there, 
too.  Just  so  sure  as  you  go  into  my  house  to-night 
and  touch — well,  you  know  what  I  mean — just  so 
sure  I'll  kill  you  like  a  dog,  if  I  have  to  chase  you 
to  Jericho.  Now  you  can  believe  that  or  not.  If 
I  was  you  I'd  believe  it." 

Taking  the  frightened  schoolmistress  by  the  arm 
once  more  he  walked  away.  Mr.  Smith  said  noth 
ing  till  they  had  gone  some  distance.  Then  he 
called  after  them. 

"You  wait  till  to-morrow!"  he  shouted.  "You 
just  wait  and  see  what'll  happen  to-morrow !  " 

Captain  Cy  was  silent  all  the  way  to  the  gate  of 
the  perfect  boarding  house.  Miss  Dawes  was  silent 
likewise,  but  she  thought  a  great  deal.  At  the  gate 
she  said: 

"  Captain  Whittaker,  I'm  ever  so  much  obliged 
to  you.  I  can't  thank  you  enough." 

"  Don't  try,  then.  That's  what  you  said  to  me 
about  the  cow." 

209 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  But  I'm  almost  sorry  you  were  the  one  to  come. 
I'm  afraid  that  man  will  get  you  into  trouble.  Has 
he — can  he —  What  did  he  mean  about  to-mor 
row?  Who  M  he?" 

The  captain  pushed  his  cap  back  from  his  fore 
head. 

"  Teacher,"  he  said,  "  there's  a  proverb,  ain't 
there,  about  lettin'  to-morrow  take  care  of  itself? 
As  for  trouble — well,  I  did  think  I'd  had  trouble 
enough  in  my  life  to  last  me  through,  but  I  cal'late 
I've  got  another  guess.  Anyhow,  don't  you  fret. 
I  did  just  the  right  thing,  and  I'm  glad  I  did  it. 
If  it  was  only  me  I  wouldn't  fret,  either.  But 
there's —  He  stopped,  groaned,  and  pulled  the 
cap  forward  again.  "  Good  night,"  he  added,  and 
turned  to  go. 

Miss  Dawes  leaned  forward  and  detained  him. 

'  Just  a  minute,  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  said.  "  I 
was  a  little  prejudiced  against  you  when  I  came  here. 
I  was  told  that  you  got  me  the  teacher's  position, 
and  there  was  more  than  a  hint  that  you  did  it  for 
selfish  reasons  of  your  own.  When  you  called  that 
afternoon  at  the  school  I  was — 

"Don't  say  a  word!  I  was  the  biggest  fool  in 
town  that  time,  and  I've  been  ashamed  to  look 
in  the  glass  ever  since.  I  ain't  always  such  an 
idiot." 

"  But  I've  had  to  judge  people  for  myself  in  my 
lifetime,"  continued  the  schoolmistress,  "  and  I've 

210 


A    BARGAIN    OFF 

made  up  my  mind  that  I  was  mistaken  about  you. 
I  should  like  to  apologize.  Will  you  shake  hands?  " 

She  extended  her  hand.     Captain  Cy  hesitated. 

"Hadn't  you  better  wait  a  spell?"  he  asked. 
'  You've  heard  that  swab  call  me  partner. 
Hadn't " 

"No;  I  don't  know  what  your  trouble  is,  of 
course,  and  I  certainly  shan't  mention  it  to  anyone. 
But  whatever  it  is  I'm  sure  you  are  right  and  it's 
not  your  fault.  Now  will  you  shake  hands?" 

The  captain  did  not  answer.  He  merely  took  the 
proffered  hand,  shook  it  heartily,  and  strode  off  into 
the  dark. 


CHAPTER   XII 

"  TOWN-MEETIN'  ' 

THIS  is  goin'  to  be  a  mewzoriable  town  meet- 
in'  !  "     declared     Sylvanus     Cahoon,     with 
unction,  rising  from  the  settee  to  gaze  about 
him  over  the  heads  of  the  voters  in  the  townhall. 
"  I  bet  you  every  able-bodied  man  in  Bayport  '11  be 
here  this  forenoon.     Yes,  sir!  that's  what  I  call  it, 
a  me-wo-riable  meetin' !  " 

"See  anything  of  Cy?"  inquired  Josiah  Dimick, 
who  sat  next  to  Sylvanus. 

"  No,  he  ain't  come  yet.  And  Heman  ain't  here, 
neither.  Hello !  there's  Tad.  Looks  happy,  seems 
to  me." 

Captain  Dimick  stood  up  to  inspect  Mr.  Simpson. 

"  Humph  !  "  he  muttered.  "  Well,  unless  my 
count's  wrong,  he  ain't  got  much  to  be  happy  about. 
'Lonzo  Snow's  with  him.  Tad  does  look  sort  of  joy 
ful,  don't  he?  Them  that  laughs  last  laughs  best. 
When  the  vote  for  school  committee's  all  in  we'll  see 
who  does  the  grinnin'.  But  I  can't  understand — 
Hello !  there's  Tidditt.  Asaph !  Ase !  S-s-t-t !  Come 
here  a  minute." 

212 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

Mr.  Tidditt,  trembling  with  excitement,  and  shak 
ing  hands  effusively  with  everyone  he  met,  pushed 
his  way  up  the  aisle  and  bent  over  his  friend. 

"  Say,  Ase,"  whispered  Josiah,  "  where's  Whit? 
Why  ain't  he  on  hand?  Nothin's  happened,  has  it?  "j 

"  No,"  replied  the  town  clerk.  "  Everything  ' 
seems  to  be  all  right.  I  stopped  in  on  the  way  along 
and  Cy  said  not  to  wait;  he'd  be  here  on  time.  He's 
been  kind  of  off  his  feed  for  the  last  day  or  so,  and 
I  cal'late  he  didn't  feel  like  hurryin'.  Say,  Joe,  now 
honest,  what  do  you  think  of  my  chances?  " 

Such  a  confirmed  joker  as  Dimick  couldn't  lose  an, 
opportunity  like  this.  With  the  aid  of  one  trying  to 
be  cheerful  under  discouragement  he  answered  that, 
so  far,  Asaph's  chances  looked  fair,  pretty  fair,  but 
of  course  you  couldn't  always  sometimes  tell.  Mr. 
Tidditt  rushed  away  to  begin  the  handshaking  all 
over  again. 

From  this  round  of  cordiality  he  was  reluctantly 
torn  and  conducted  to  the  platform.  After  thump 
ing  the  desk  with  his  fist  he  announced  that  the 
gathering  would  "  come  to  order  right  off,  as  there 
was  consider'ble  business  to  be  done  and  it  ought  to 
be  goin'  ahead."  He  then  proceeded  to  read  the  call 
for  the  meeting.  This  ceremony  was  no  sooner  over 
than  Abednego  Small,  "  Uncle  Bedny,"  was  on  his 
feet  loudly  demanding  to  be  informed  why  the  town 
"  hadn't  done  nothin'  "  toward  fixing  up  the  Bassett's 
Hollow  road.  Uncle  Bedny's  speech  had  proceeded 

213 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

no  further  than  "  Feller  citizens,  in  the  name  of  an 
outrageous — I  should  say  outraged  portion  of  our 
community  I — "  when  he  was  choked  off  by  a  self- 
appointed  committee  who  knew  Mr.  Small  of  old  and 
had  seated  themselves  near  him  to  be  ready  for  just 
such  emergencies.  The  next  step,  judged  by  meet 
ings  of  other  years,  should  have  been  to  unani 
mously  elect  Eben  Salters  moderator;  but  as  Cap 
tain  Eben  refused  to  serve,  owing  to  his  interest  in 
the  Whittaker  campaign,  Alvin  Knowles  was,  by  a 
small  majority,  chosen  for  that  office.  Mr.  Knowles 
was  a  devout  admirer  of  the  great  Atkins,  and  his 
election  would  have  been  considered  a  preliminary 
victory  for  the  opposition  had  it  not  been  that  many 
of  Captain  Cy's  adherents  voted  for  Alvin  from  a 
love  of  mischief,  knowing  from  experience  his  ig 
norance  of  parliamentary  law  and  his  easy-going 
rule.  "  Now  there'll  be  fun !  "  declared  one  delighted 
individual.  "  Anything's  in  order  when  Alvin's 
chairman." 

The  proceedings  of  the  first  half  hour  were  dis 
appointingly  tame.  Most  of  us  had  come  there  to 
witness  a  political  wrestling  match  between  Tad 
Simpson  and  Cyrus  Whittaker.  Some  even  dared 
hope  that  Congressman  Atkins  might  direct  his  fight 
in  person.  But  neither  the  Honorable  nor  Captain 
Cy  was  in  the  hall  as  yet.  Solon  Eldridge  was  re- 
elected  selectman  and  so  also  was  Asaph  Tidditt. 
Nobody  but  Asaph  seemed  surprised  at  this  result. 

214 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

His  speech  of  acceptance  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  a  triumph  of  oratory  had  it  not  been  interrupted 
by  Uncle  Bedny,  who  rose  to  emphatically  protest 
against  "  settin'  round  and  wastin'  time  "  when  the 
Bassett's  Hollow  road  "  had  ruts  deep  enough  to 
drown  a  cat  in  whenever  there  was  a  more'n  average 
heavy  dew." 

The  Bassett's  Hollow  delegate  being  again  tem 
porarily  squelched,  Moderator  Knowles  announced 
that  nominations  for  the  vacant  place  on  the  school 
committee  were  in  order.  There  was  a  perceptible 
stir  on  the  settees.  This  was  what  the  meeting  had 
been  waiting  for. 

"  No  sign  of  Cy  or  Heman  yet,"  observed  Mr. 
Cahoon,  craning  his  neck  in  the  direction  of  the  door. 
"  It's  the  queerest  thing  ever  I  see." 

"  Queer  enough  about  Cy,  that's  a  fact,"  con 
curred  Captain  Dimick.  "  I  ain't  so  surprised  about 
Heman's  not  comin'.  Looks  as  if  Whit  was  right; 
he  always  said  Atkins  dodged  a  row  where  folks 
could  watch  it.  Does  most  of  his  fightin'  from 
round  the  corner.  Hello !  there's  Tad.  Now  you'll 
see  the  crown  of  glory  set  on  'Lonzo  Snow's  head. 
Hope  the  crown's  padded  nice  and  soft.  Anything 
with  sharp  edges  would  sink  in." 

But  Mr.  Simpson,  it  seemed,  was  not  yet  ready  to 
proceed  with  the  coronation.  He  had  risen  to  ask 
permission  of  the  meeting  to  defer  the  school  com 
mittee  matter  for  a  short  time.  Persons,  important 

215 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

persons,  who  should  be  present  while  the  nominat 
ing  was  going  on,  had  not  yet  arrived.  He  was  sure 
that  the  gathering  would  wish  to  hear  from  these 
persons.  He  asked  for  only  a  slight  delay.  Matters 
such  as  this,  affecting  the  welfare  of  our  posterity, 
ought  not  to  be  hurried,  etc.,  etc. 

Mr.  Simpson's  request  was  unexpected.  The  meet 
ing,  apparently,  didn't  know  how  to  take  it.  Uncle 
Bedny  was  firmly  held  in  his  seat  by  those  about  him. 
Lemuel  Myrick  took  the  floor  to  protest. 

"  I  must  say,"  he  declared,  "  that  I  don't  see  any 
reason  for  waitin'.  If  folks  ain't  here,  that's  their 
own  fault.  Mr.  Moderator,  I  demand  that  the  nom- 
inatin'  go  ahead."  . 

Tad  was  on  his  feet  instantly. 

"  I'm  goin'  to  appeal,"  he  cried,  "  to  the  decency 
and  gratitude  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  of  Bayport. 
One  of  the  persons  I'm — that  is,  we're  waitin'  for 
has  done  more  for  our  beautiful  village  than  all  the 
rest  of  us  put  together.  There  ain't  no  need  for 
me  to  name  him.  A  right  up-to-date  town  pump,  a 
lovely  memorial  window,  a " 

"How  about  that  harbor  appropriation?"  cried 
a  voice  from  the  settees. 

Mr.  Simpson  was  taken  aback.  His  face  flushed 
and  he  angrily  turned  toward  the  interrupter. 

"  That's  you,  Joe  Dimick !  "  he  shouted,  pointing 
an  agitated  forefinger.  "  You  needn't  scooch  down. 
I  know  your  tongue.  The  idea  of  you  findin'  fault 

216 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

because  a  big  man  like  Congressman  Atkins  don't 
jump  when  you  holler  '  Git  up !  '  What  do  you  know 
about  doin's  at  Washington?  That  harbor  appro 
priation  '11  go  through  if  anybody  on  earth  can  get 
it  through.  There's  other  places  besides  Bayport  to 
be  provided  for  and " 

"  And  their  congressmen  provide  for  'em,"  called 
another  voice.  Tad  whirled  to  face  his  new  tor 
mentor. 

"  Huh!  '  he  grunted  with'  sarcasm.  "  That's  Lem 
Myrick,  /  know.  Lem,  the  great  painter,  who  votes 
where  he  paints  and  gets  paid  accordin'." 

"  Order!  "  cried  several. 

"  Oh,  all  right,  Mr.  Moderator!  I'll  keep  order 
all  right.  But  I  say  to  you,  Lem,  and  you,  Joe  Dim- 
ick,  that  I  know  who  put  these  smart  notions  into 
your  heads.  We  all  know,  unless  we're  born  fools. 
Who  is  it  that's  been  sayin'  the  Honorable  Heman 
Atkins  was  shirkin'  that  appropriation?  Who  was 
it  said  if  he  was  representative  the  thing  would  have 
gone  through  afore  this?  Who's  been  makin'  his 
brags  that  he  could  get  it  through  if  he  had  the 
chance  ?  You  know  who  1  So  do  I !  I  wish  he  was 
here.  I  only  wish  he  was  here!  I'd  say  it  to  his 
face." 

'  Well,  he  is.    Heave  ahead  and  say  it." 

Everyone  turned  toward  the  door.  Captain  Cy 
had  entered  the  hall.  He  was  standing  in  the  aisle, 
and  with  him  was  Bailey  Bangs.  The  captain  looked 
16  217 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

very  tired,  almost  worn  out,  but  he  nodded  coolly  to 
Mr.  Simpson,  who  had  retired  to  his  seat  with  sur 
prising  quickness  and  apparent  discomfiture. 

"  Here  I  am,  Tad,"  continued  the  captain.  "  Say 
your  piece." 

But  Tad,  it  appeared,  was  not  anxious  to  "  say 
his  piece."  He  was  whispering  earnestly  with  a 
group  of  his  followers.  Captain  Cy  held  up  his 
hand. 

"  Mr.  Moderator,"  he  asked,  "  can  I  hav-  the 
floor  a  minute?  All  I  want  to  say  is  that  I  cal'late 
I'm  the  feller  the  last  speaker  had  reference  to.  I 
have  said  that  I  didn't  see  why  that  appropriation 
was  so  hard  to  get.  I  say  it  again.  Other  appro 
priations  are  got,  and  why  not  ours?  I  did  say  if  I 
was  a  congressman  I'd  get  it.  Yes,  and  I'll  say 
more,"  he  added,  raising  his  voice,  "  I'll  say  that  if 
I  was  sent  to  Washin'ton  by  this  town,  congressman 
or  not,  I'd  move  heaven  and  earth,  and  all  creation 
from  the  President  down  till  I  did  get  it.  That's 
all.  So  would  any  live  man,  I  should  think." 

He  sat  down.  There  was  some  applause.  Before 
it  had  subsided  Abel  Leonard,  one  of  the  quickest- 
witted  of  Mr.  Simpson's  workers,  was  on  his  feet, 
gesticulating  for  attention. 

"  Mr.  Moderator,"  he  shouted,  "  I  want  to  make 
a  motion.  We've  all  heard  the  big  talk  that's  been 
made.  All  right,  then!  I  move  you,  sir,  that  Cap 
tain  Cyrus  Whittaker  be  appointed  a  committee  of 

218 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

one  to  go  to  Washin'ton,  if  he  wants  to,  or  any 
wheres  else,  and  see  that  we  get  the  appropriation. 
And  if  we  don't  get  it  the  blame's  his!  There, 
now!  " 

There  was  a  roar  of  laughter.  This  was  exactly 
the  sort  of  "  tit-for-tat  "  humor  that  appeals  to  a 
Yankee  crowd.  The  motion  was  seconded  half  a 
dozen  times.  Moderator  Knowles  grinned  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  A  joke's  a  joke,"  he  said,  "  and  we  all  like  a 
good  one.  However,  this  meetin'  is  supposed  to  be 
for  business,  not  fun,  so " 

"Question!  Question!  It's  been  seconded! 
We've  got  to  vote  on  it !  "  shouted  a  chorus. 

"  Don't  you  think — seems  to  me  that  ain't  in 
order,"  began  the  moderator,  but  Captain  Cy  rose 
to  his  feet.  The  grim  smile  had  returned  to  his  face 
and  he  looked  at  the  joyous  assemblage  with  almost 
his  old  expression  of  appreciative  alertness. 

"  Never  mind  the  vote,"  he  said.  "  I  realize  that 
Brother  Leonard  has  rather  got  one  on  me,  so  to 
speak.  All  right,  I  won't  dodge.  I'll  be  a  committee 
of  one  on  the  harbor  grab,  and  if  nothin'  comes  o£ 
it  I'll  take  my  share  of  kicks.  Gentlemen,  I  appreci 
ate  your  trustfulness  in  my  ability." 

This  brief  speech  was  a  huge  success.  If,  for  a 
moment,  the  pendulum  of  public  favor  had  swung 
toward  Simpson,  this  trumping  of  the  latter's  lead 
ing  card  pushed  it  back  again.  The  moderator  had 

219 


;CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

some  difficulty  in  restoring  order  to  the  hilarious 
meeting. 

Then  Mr.  Myrick  was  accorded  the  privilege  of 
the  floor,  in  spite  of  Tad's  protests,  and  proceeded 
to  nominate  Cyrus  Whittaker  for  the  school  com 
mittee.  Lem  had  devoted  hours  of  toil  and  weari 
some  mental  struggle  to  the  preparation  of  his  ad 
dress,  and  it  was  lengthy  and  florid.  Captain  Cy 
was  described  as  possessing  all  the  virtues.  Bailey, 
listening  with  a  hand  behind  his  ear,  was  moved 
to  applause  at  frequent  intervals,  and  even  Asaph 
forgot  the  dignity  of  his  exalted  position  on  the 
platform  and  pounded  the  official  desk  in  ecstasy. 
The  only  person  to  appear  uninterested  was  the 
nominee  himself.  He  sat  listlessly  in  his  seat,  his 
eyes  cast  down,  and  his  thoughts  apparently  far 
away. 

Josiah  Dimick  seconded  the  captain's  nomination. 
Then  Mr.  Simpson  stepped  to  the  front  and,  after 
a  wistful  glance  at  the  door,  began  to  speak. 

"  Feller  citizens,"  he  said,  "  it  is  my  privilege  to 
put  in  nomination  for  school  committee  a  man  whose 
name  stands  for  all  that's  good  and  clean  and  pro 
gressive  in  this  township.  But  afore  I  do  it  I'm 
goin'  to  ask  you  to  let  me  say  a  word  or  two  con- 
cernin'  somethin'  that  bears  right  on  this  matter,  and 
which,  I  believe,  everyone  of  you  ought  to  know. 
It's  somethin'  that  most  of  you  don't  know,  and 
it'll  be  a  surprise,  a  big  surprise.  I'll  be  as  quick 

220 


'  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

as  I  can,  and  I  cal'late  you'll  thank  me  when  I'm 
done." 

He  paused.  The  meeting  looked  at  each  other  in 
astonishment.  There  was  whispering  along  the  set 
tees.  Moderator  Knowles  was  plainly  puzzled.  He 
looked  inquiringly  at  the  town  clerk,  but  Asaph  was 
evidently  quite  as  much  in  the  dark  as  he  concerning 
the  threatened  disclosure. 

"  Feller  Bayporters,"  went  on  Tad,  "  there's  one 
thing  we've  all  agreed  on,  no  matter  who  we've 
meant  to  vote  for.  That  is,  that  a  member  of  our 
school  committee  should  be  an  upright,  honest  man, 
one  fit  morally  to  look  out  for  our  dear  children. 
Ain't  that  so?  Well,  then,  I  ask  you  this:  Would 
you  consider  a  man  fit  for  that  job  who  deliberately 
came  between  a  father  and  his  child,  who  pizened 
the  mind  of  that  child  against  his  own  parent,  and 
when  that  parent  come  to  claim  that  child,  first  tried 
to  buy  him  off  and  then  turned  him  out  of  the  house? 
Yes,  and  offered  violence  to  him.  And  done  it — 
mark  what  I  say — for  reasons  which — which — well, 
we  can  only  guess  'em,  but  the  guess  may  not  be  so 
awful  bad.  Is  that  the  kind  of  man  we  want  to 
honor  or  to  look  out  for  our  own  children's  school- 
in'?" 

Mr.  Simpson  undoubtedly  meant  to  cause  a  sen 
sation  by  his  opening  remarks.  He  certainly  did  so. 
The  stir  and  whispering  redoubled.  Asaph,  his 
mouth  open,  stared  wildly  down  at  Captain  Cy.  The 

221 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

captain  rose  to  his  feet,  then  sank  back  again.  His 
listlessness  was  gone  and,  paying  no  attention  to 
those  about  him,  he  gazed  fixedly  at  Tad. 

"  Gentlemen,"  continued  the  speaker,  "  last  night 
I  had  an  experience  that  I  shan't  forget  as  long  as 
I  live.  I  met  a  poor  man,  a  poor,  lame  man  who'd 
been  away  out  West  and  got  hurt  bad.  Folks 
thought  he  was  dead.  His  wife  thought  so  and 
died  grievin'  for  him.  She  left  a  little  baby  girl, 
only  seven  or  eight  year  old.  When  this  man  come 
back,  well  again  but  poor,  to  look  up  his  family,  he 
found  his  wife  had  passed  away  and  the  child  had 
been  sent  off,  just  to  get  rid  of  her,  to  a  stranger  in 
another  town.  That  stranger  fully  meant  to  send 
her  off,  too;  he  said  so  dozens  of  times.  A  good 
many  of  you  folks  right  here  heard  him  say  it.  But 
he  never  sent  her — he  kept  her.  Why?  Well,  that's 
the  question.  /  shan't  answer  it.  /  ain't  accusin' 
nobody.  All  T  say  is,  what's  easy  enough  for  any  of 
you  to  prove,  and  that  is  that  it  come  to  light  the 
child  had  property  belongin'  to  her.  Property !  land, 
wuth  money!  " 

He  paused  once  more  and  drew  his  sleeve  across 
his  forehead.  Most  of  his  hearers  were  silent  now, 
on  tiptoe  of  expectation.  Dimick  looked  searchingly 
at  Captain  Cy.  Then  he  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"Order!  "  he  shouted.  "What's  all  this  got  to 
do  with  nominatin'  for  school  committee?  Ain't  he 
out  of  order,  Alvin?  " 

222 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

The  moderator  hesitated.  His  habitual  indecision 
was  now  complicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was  as  curi 
ous  as  the  majority  of  those  before  him.  There  were 
shouts  of,  "  Go  ahead,  Tad!  "  "  Tell  us  the  rest!  " 
"  Let  him  go  on,  Mr.  Moderator!  " 

Cy  Whittaker  slowly  rose. 

"  Alvin,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  don't  stop  him  yet. 
As  a  favor  to  me,  let  him  spin  his  yarn." 

Simpson  was  ready  and  evidently  eager  to  spin  It. 

"  This  man,"  he  proclaimed,  "  this  father,  mourn- 
in'  for  his  dead  wife  and  longin'  for  his  child,  comes 
to  the  town  where  he  was  to  find  and  take  her.  And 
when  he  meets  the  man  that's  got  her,  when  he  comes, 
poor  and  down  on  his  luck,  what  does  this  man — this 
rich  man — do?  Why,  fust  of  all,  he's  sweeter'n 
sirup  to  him,  takes  him  in,  keeps  him  overnight, 
and  the  next  day  he  says  to  him :  '  You  just  be  quiet 
and  say  nothin'  to  nobody  that  she's  your  little  girl. 
I'll  make  it  wuth  your  while.  Keep  quiet  till  I'm 
ready  for  you  to  say  it.'  And  he  gives  the  father 
money — not  much,  but  some.  All  right  so  fur,  may 
be  ;  but  wait !  Then  it  turns  out  that  the  father 
knows  about  this  land — this  property.  And  then  the 
kind,  charitable  man — this  rich  man  with  lots  of 
money  of  his  own — turns  the  poor  father  out,  tell- 
in'  him  to  get  the  girl  and  the  land  if  he  can,  knowin' 
—knowin',  mind  you — that  the  father  ain't  got  a 
cent  to  hire  lawyers  nor  even  to  pay  for  his  next 
meal.  And  when  the  father  says  he  won't  go,  but 

223 


wants  his  dear  one  that  belongs  to  him,  the  rich 
feller  abuses  him,  knocks  him  down  with  his  fist ! 
Knocks  down  a  poor,  weak,  lame  invalid,  just  off 
a  sick  bed !  Is  that  the  kind  of  a  man  we  want  on 
our  school  committee?" 

He  asked  the  question  writh  both  hands  outspread 
and  the  perspiration  running  down  his  cheeks.  The 
meeting  was  in  an  uproar. 

"  No  need  for  me  to  tell  you  who  I  mean," 
shouted  Tad,  waving  his  arms.  "  You  know  who, 
as  well  as  I  do.  You've  just  heard  him  praised  as 
bein'  all  that's  good  and  great.  But  /  say " 

"  You've  said  enough  !    Now  let  me  say  a  word !  " 

It  was  Captain  Cy  who  interrupted.  He  had 
pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd,  down  the  aisle, 
and  now  stood  before  the  gesticulating  Mr.  Simpson, 
who  shrank  back  as  if  he  feared  that  the  treatment 
accorded  the  u  poor  weak  invalid "  might  be  con 
tinued  with  him. 

"  Knowles,"  said  Captain  Cy,  turning  to  the  mod 
erator,  "let  me  speak,  will  you?  I  won't  be  but  a 
minute.  Friends,"  he  continued,  facing  the  excited 
gathering — "  for  some  of  you  are  my  friends,  or  I've 
come  to  think  you  are — a  part  of  what  this  man  says 
is  so.  The  girl  at  my  house  is  Emily  Thomas;  her 
mother  was  Mary  Thomas,  who  some  of  you  know, 
and  her  father's  name  is  Henry  Thomas.  She  came 
to  me  unexpected,  bein'  sent  by  a  Mrs.  Oliver  up  to 
Concord,  because  'twas  either  me  or  an  orphan 

224 


'"  You've  said  enough  !     Now  let  me  say  a  word  ! '  ' 

asylum.  I  took  her  m  meanin'  to  keep  her  a  little 
while,  and  then  send  her  away.  But  as  time  went  on 
I  kept  puttin'  off  and  puttin'  off,  and  at  last  I  realized 
I  couldn't  do  it;  I'd  come  to  think  too  much  of-  her. 
"  Fellers,"  he  went  on,  slowly,  "  I — I  hardly  know 
how  to  tell  you  what  that  little  girl's  come  to  be  to 
me.  When  I  first  struck  Bayport,  after  forty  years 
away  from  it,  all  I  thought  of  was  makin'  over  the 

225 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

old  place  and  livin'  in  it.  I  cal'lated  it  would  be  a 
sort  of  Paradise,  and  how  I  was  goin'  to  live  or 
whether  or  not  I'd  be  lonesome  with  everyone  of  my 
folks  dead  and  gone,  never  crossed  my  mind.  But 
the  longer  I  lived  there  alone  the  less  like  Paradise 
it  got  to  be;  I  realized  more  and  more  that  it  ain't 
furniture  and  fixin's  that  make  a  home;  it's  them 
you  love  that's  in  it.  And  just  as  I'd  about  reached 
the  conclusion  that  'twas  a  failure,  the  whole  busi 
ness,  why,  then,  Bos'n — Emily,  that  is — dropped  in, 
and  inside  of  a  week  I  knew  I'd  got  what  was  miss- 
in'  in  my  life. 

"  I  never  married  and  children  never  meant 
much  to  me  till  I  got  her.  She's  the  best  little — 
little  .  .  .  There  I  I  mustn't  talk  this  way.  I  bluffed 
a  lot  about  not  keepin'  her  permanent,  bein'  kind  of 
ashamed,  I  guess,  but  down  inside  me  I'd  made  up 
my  mind  to  bring  her  up  like  a  daughter.  She  and 
me  was  to  live  together  till  she  grew  up  and  got 
married  and  I  ...  Well,  what's  the  use?  A  few 
days  ago  come  a  letter  from  the  Oliver  woman  in 
Concord  sayin'  that  this  Henry  Thomas,  Bos'n's 
father,  wan't  dead  at  all,  but  had  turned  up  there, 
havin'  learned  somehow  or  'nother  that  his  wife  was 
gone  and  that  his  child  had  been  willed  a  little  bit 
of  land  which  belonged  to  her  mother.  He  had 
found  out  that  Emmie  was  with  me,  and  the  letter 
said  he  would  likely  come  after  her — and  the  land. 

"  That  letter  was  like  a  flash  of  lightnin'  to  me.  I 
226 


1  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

was  dismasted  and  on  my  beam  ends.  I  didn't  knoV 
what  to  do.  I'd  learned  enough  about  this  Henry 
Thomas  to  know  that  he  was  no  use,  a  drunken,  good- 
for-nothin'  scamp  who  had  cruelized  his  wife  and 
then  run  off  and  left  her  and  the  baby.  But  when 
he  come,  the  very  night  I  got  the  letter,  I  gave  him 
a  chance.  I  took  him  in;  I  was  willin'  to  give  him 
a  job  on  the  place;  I  was  willin'  to  pay  for  his  keep, 
and  more.  I  did  ask  him  to  keep  his  mouth  shut 
and  even  to  use  another  name.  'Twas  weak  of  me, 
maybe,  but  you  want  to  remember  this  had  come  on 
me  sudden.  And  last  night — the  very  second  night, 
mind  you — he  went  out  somewhere,  perhaps  we  can 
guess  where,  bought  liquor  with  the  money  I  gave 
him,  got  drunk,  and  then  insulted  one  of  the  best 
women  in  this  town.  Yes,  sir!  I  say  it  right  here, 
one  of  the  best,  pluckiest  little  women  anywhere,  al 
though  she  and  I  ain't  always  agreed  on  certain  mat 
ters.  I  did  tell  him  to  clear  out,  and  I  did  knock 
him  down.  Yes,  and  by  the  big  dipper,  I'd  do  it 
again  under  the  same  circumstances ! 

"  As  for  the  property,"  he  added  fiercely,  "  why, 
darn  the  property,  I  say!  It  ain't  wuth  much,  any 
how,  and,  if  'twas  anybody's  else,  he  should  have  it 
and  welcome.  But  it's  Bos'n's,  and,  bein'  what  he 
is,  he  shan't  have  it.  And  he  shan't  have  her  to 
cruelize,  neither!  By  the  Almighty!  he  shan't,  so 
long  as  I've  got  a  dollar  to  fight  him  with.  I  say 
that  to  you,  Tad  Simpson,  and  to  the  man — to  who- 

227 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

ever  put  you  up  to  this.  There !  I've  said  my  say. 
Now,  gentlemen,  you  can  choose  your  side." 

He  strode  back  to  his  seat.  There  was  silence  for 
a  moment.  Then  Josiah  Dimick  sprang  up  and 
waved  his  hat. 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk !  "  he  shouted.  "  That's 
a  man!  Three  cheers  for  Cap'n  Whittaker!  Come 
on,  everybody !  " 

But  everybody  did  not  "  come  on."  The  cheers 
were  feeble.  It  was  evident  that  the  majority  of 
those  present  did  not  know  how  to  meet  this  unex 
pected  contingency.  It  had  taken  them  by  surprise 
and  they  were  undecided.  The  uproar  of  argument 
and  question  began  again,  louder  than  ever.  The 
bewildered  moderator  thumped  his  desk  and  shouted 
feebly  for  order.  Tad  Simpson  took  the  floor  and, 
in  a  few  words  and  at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  nomi 
nated  Alonzo  Snow.  Abel  Leonard  seconded  the 
nomination.  There  were  yells  of  "  Question !  Ques 
tion!  "  and  "Vote!  Vote!" 

Eben  Salters  was  recognized  by  the  chair.  Cap 
tain  Salters  made  few  speeches,  and  when  he  did 
make  one  it  was  because  he  had  something  to  say. 

"  Mr.  Moderator,"  he  said,  "  I,  for  one,  hate  to 
vote  just  now.  It  isn't  that  the  school  committee  is 
so  important  of  itself.  But  I  do  think  that  the  rights 
of  a  father  with  his  child  is  pretty  important,  and  our 
vote  for  Cap'n  Whittaker — and  most  of  you  know  I 
intended  votin'  for  him  and  have  been  workin'  for 

228 


"  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

him — might  seem  like  an  indorsement  of  his  posi 
tion.  This  whole  thing  is  a  big  surprise  to  me.  I 
don't  feel  yet  that  we  know  enough  of  the  inside  facts 
to  give  such  an  indorsement.  I'd  like  to  see  this 
Thomas  man  before  I  decide  to  give  it — or  not  to 
give  it,  either.  It's  a  queer  thing  to  come  up  at  town 
meetin',  but  it's  up.  Hadn't  we  better  adjourn  until 
next  week?  " 

He  sat  down.  The  meeting  was  demoralized. 
Some  were  shouting  for  adjournment,  others  to 
'  Vote  it  out."  A  straw  would  turn  the  scale  and  the 
straw  was  forthcoming.  While  Captain  Cy  was 
speaking  the  door  had  silently  opened  and  two  men 
entered  the  hall  and  sought  seclusion  in  a  corner. 
Now  one  of  these  men  came  forward — the  Honora 
ble  Heman  Atkins. 

Mr.  Atkins  walked  solemnly  to  the  front,  amidst 
a  burst  of  recognition.  Many  of  the  voters  rose  to 
receive  him.  It  was  customary,  when  the  great  man 
condescended  to  attend  such  gatherings,  to  offer  him 
a  seat  on  the  platform.  This  the  obsequious  Knowles 
proceeded  to  do.  Asaph  was  too  overcome  by  the 
disclosure  of  "  John  Smith's  "  identity  and  by  Mr. 
Simpson's  attack  on  his  friend  to  remember  even 
his  manners.  He  did  not  rise,  but  sat  stonily 
staring. 

The  moderator's  gavel  descended  "  Order  1" 
he  roared.  "Order,  I  say!  Congressman  Atkins 
is  goin'  to  talk  to  us." 

229 


The  Honorable  Heman  faced  the  excited  crowd. 
One  hand  was  in  the  breast  of  his  frock  coat;  the 
other  was  clenched  upon  his  hip.  He  stood  calm, 
benignant,  dignified — the  incarnation  of  wisdom  and 
righteous  worth.  The  attitude  had  its  effect;  the 
applause  began  and  grew  to  an  ovation.  Men  who 
had  intended  voting  against  his  favored  candidate 
forgot  their  intention,  in  the  magnetism  of  his  pres 
ence,  and  cheered.  He  bowed  and  bowed  again. 

"  Fellow  townsmen,"  he  began,  "  far  be  it  from 
me  to  influence  your  choice  in  the  matter  of  the  school 
committee.  Still  further  be  it  from  me  to  influence 
you  against  an  old  boyhood  friend,  a  neighbor,  one 
whom  I  believe — er — had  believed  to  be  all  that  was 
sincere  and  true.  But,  fellow  townsmen,  my  es 
teemed  friend,  Captain  Salters,  has  expressed  a  wish 
to  see  Mr.  Thomas,  the  father  whose  story  you  have 
heard  to-day.  I  happen  to  be  in  a  position  to  gratify 
that  wish.  Mr.  Thomas,  will  you  kindly  come  for 
ward?" 

Then  from  the  rear  of  the  hall  Mr.  Thomas  came. 
But  the  drunken  rowdy  of  the  night  before  had  been 
transformed.  Gone  was  the  scrubby  beard  and  the 
shabby  suit.  Shorn  was  the  unkempt  mop  of  hair 
and  vanished  the  impudent  swagger.  He  was  dressed 
in  clean  linen  and  respectable  black,  and  his  manner 
was  modest  and  subdued.  Only  a  discoloration  of 
one  eye  showed  where  Captain  Cy's  blow  had  left  its 
mark. 

230 


"He  stepped  upon  the  platform  beside  the  congressman." 

He  stepped  upon  the  platform  beside  the  con 
gressman.  The  latter  laid  a  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  Gentlemen  and  friends,"  said  Heman,  "  my  name 
has  been  brought  into  this  controversy,  by  Mr.  Simp 
son  directly,  and  in  insinuation  by — er — another. 

231 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Therefore  it  is  my  right  to  make  my  position  clear. 
Mr.  Thomas  came  to  me  last  evening  in  distress, 
both  of  mind  and  body.  He  told  me  his  story — sub 
stantially  the  story  which  has  just  been  told  to  you 
by  Mr.  Simpson — and,  gentlemen,  I  believe  it.  But 
if  I  did  not  believe  it,  if  I  believed  him  to  have  been 
in  the  past  all  that  his  opponent  has  said;  even  if  I 
believed  that,  only  last  evening,  spurned,  driven  from 
his  child,  penniless  and  hopeless,  he  had  yielded  to 
the  weakness  which  has  been  his  curse  all  his  life — 
even  if  I  believed  that,  still  I  should  demand  that 
Henry  Thomas,  repentant  and  earnest  as  you  see 
him  now,  should  be  given  his  rightful  opportunity  to 
become  a  man  again.  He  is  poor,  but  he  is  not — 
shall  not  be — friendless.  No  !  a  thousand  times,  no  I 
You  may  say,  some  of  you,  that  the  affair  is  not  my 
business.  I  affirm  that  it  is  my  business.  It  is  my 
business  as  a  Christian,  and  that  business  should 
come  before  all  others.  I  have  not  allowed  sympathy 
to  influence  me.  If  that  were  the  case,  my  regard  for 
my  neighbor  and  friend  of  former  days  would  have 
held  me  firm.  But,  gentlemen,  I  have  a  child  of  my 
own.  I  know  what  a  father's  love  is,  as  only  a  father 
can  know  it.  And,  after  a  sleepless  night,  I  stand 
here  before  you  to-day  determined  that  this  man  shall 
have  his  own,  if  my  money — which  you  will,  I'm  sure, 
forgive  my  mentioning — and  my  unflinching  support 
can  give  it  to  him.  That  is  my  position,  and  I  state 
it  regardless  of  consequences."  He  paused,  and  with 

232 


11  TOWN-MEETIN' ' 

raised  right  hand,  like  the  picture  of  Jove  in  the  old 
academy  mythology,  launched  his  final  thunderbolt. 
"  Whom  God  hath  joined,"  he  proclaimed,  "  let  no 
one  put  asunder !  " 

That  settled  it.  The  cheers  shook  the  walls. 
Amidst  the  tumult  Dimick  and  Bailey  Bangs  seized 
Captain  Cy  by  the  shoulders  and  endeavored  to  lift 
him  from  his  seat. 

"  For  the  love  of  goodness,  Whit !  "  groaned  Jo- 
siah,  desperately,  "  stand  up  and  answer  him.  If  you 
don't,  we'll  founder  sure." 

The  captain  smiled  grimly  and  shook  his  head.  He 
had  not  taken  his  eyes  from  the  face  of  the  great 
Atkins  since  the  latter  began  speaking. 

"  What?  "  he  replied.  "  After  that  *  put  asunder  ' 
sockdolager?  Man  alive!  do  you  want  me  to  add 
Sabbath  breakin'  to  my  other  crimes?  " 

The  vote,  by  ballot,  followed  almost  immediately. 
It  was  pitiful  to  see  the  erstwhile  Whittaker  ma 
jority  melt  away.  Alonzo  Snow  was  triumphantly 
elected.  But  a  handful  voted  against  him. 

Captain  Cy,  still  grimly  smiling,  rose  and  left  the 
hall.  As  he  closed  the  door,  he  heard  the  shrill 
voice  of  Uncle  Bedny  demanding  justice  for  the  Bas- 
sett's  Hollow  road. 

It  had,  indeed,  been  a  "  memoriable  "  town  meet 
ing. 


17 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE   REPULSE 

WHEN  Deacon  Zeb  Clark — the  same  Dea 
con  Zeb  who  fell  into  the  cistern,  as 
narrated  by  Captain  Cy — made  his  first 
visit  to  the  city,  years  and  years  ago,  he  stayed  but 
two  days.  As  he  had  proudly  boasted  that  he  should 
remain  in  the  metropolis  at  least  a  week,  our  peo 
ple  were  much  surprised  at  his  premature  return.  To 
the  driver  of  the  butcher  cart  who  found  him  sitting 
contentedly  before  his  dwelling,  amidst  his  desolate 
acres,  the  nearest  neighbor  a  half  mile  away,  did 
Deacon  Zeb  disclose  his  reason  for  leaving  the 
crowded  thoroughfares.  "  There  was  so  many  folks 
there,"  he  said,  "  that  I  felt  lonesome." 

And  Captain  Cy,  returning  from  the  town  meet 
ing  to  the  Whittaker  place,  felt  lonesome  likewise. 
Not  for  the  Deacon's  reason — he  met  no  one  on  the 
main  road,  save  a  group  of  school  children  and  Miss 
Phinney,  and,  sighting  the  latter  in  the  offing,  he 
dodged  behind  the  trees  by  the  schoolhouse  pond 
and  waited  until  she  passed.  But  the  captain,  his 
trouble  now  heavy  upon  him,  did  feel  the  need  of 

234 


THE    REPULSE 

sympathy  and  congenial  companionship.  He  knew 
he  might  count  upon  Dimick  and  Asaph,  and,  when 
ever  Keturah's  supervision  could  be  evaded,  upon  Mr. 
Bangs.  But  they  were  not  the  advisers  and  com 
forters  for  this  hour  of  need.  All  the  rest  of  Bay- 
port,  he  felt  sure,  would  be  against  him.  Had  not 
King  Heman  the  Great  from  the  steps  of  the  throne, 
banned  him  with  the  royal  displeasure!  "  If  Heman 
ever  should  come  right  out  and  say — "  began  Asaph's 
warning.  Well,  strange  as  it  might  seem,  Heman 
had  "  come  right  out." 

As  to  why  he  had  come  out  there  was  no  question 
in  the  mind  of  the  captain.  The  latter  had  left  Mr. 
Thomas,  the  prodigal  father,  prostrate  and  blasphe 
mous  in  the  road  the  previous  evening.  His  next 
view  of  him  was  when,  transformed  and  sanctified, 
he  had  been  summoned  to  the  platform  by  Mr.  At 
kins.  No  doubt  he  had  returned  to  the  barber  shop 
and,  in  his  rage  and  under  Mr.  Simpson's  cross  ex 
amination,  had  revealed  something  of  the  truth. 
Tad,  the  politician,  recognizing  opportunity  when  it 
knocked  at  his  door,  had  hurried  him  to  the  congress 
man's  residence.  The  rest  was  plain  enough,  so  Cap 
tain  Cy  thought. 

However,  war  was  already  declared,  and  the  rea 
sons  for  it  mattered  little.  The  first  skirmish  might 
occur  at  any  moment.  The  situation  was  desperate. 
The  captain  squared  his  shoulders,  thrust  forward 
his  chin,  and  walked  briskly  up  the  path  to  the  door 

235 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

of  the  dining  room.  It  was  nearly  one  o'clock,  but 
Bos'n  had  not  yet  gone.  She  was  waiting,  to  the  very 
last  minute,  for  her  "  Uncle  Cyrus." 

"  Hello,  shipmate,"  he  hailed.  "  Not  headed  for 
school  yet?  Good!  I  cal'late  you  needn't  go 
this  afternoon.  I'm  thinkin'  of  hirin'  a  team  and 
drivin'  to  Ostable,  and  I  didn't  know  but  you'd 
like  to  go  with  me.  Think  you  could,  without 
that  teacher  woman  havin'  you  brought  up  aft  for 
mutiny?  " 

Bos'n  thought  it  over. 

"Yes,  sir,"  she  said;  "I  guess  so,  if  you  wrote 
me  an  excuse.  I  don't  like  to  be  absent,  'cause  I 
haven't  been  before,  but  there's  only  my  reading 
lesson  this  afternoon  and  I  know  that  ever  so  well. 
I'd  love  to  go,  Uncle  Cy." 

The  captain  removed  his  coat  and  hat  and  pulled 
a  chair  forward  to  the  table. 

"Hello!"  he  exclaimed.  "What's  this— the 
mail?" 

Bos'n  smiled  delightedly. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  she  replied.  "  I  knew  you  was  at  the 
meeting  and  so  I  brought  it  from  the  office.  Ain't 
you  glad?  " 

"Sure!  Yes,  indeed!  Much  obliged.  Tryin'  to 
keep  house  without  you  would  be  like  steerin'  with 
out  a  rudder." 

Even  as  he  said  it  there  came  to  him  the  realiza 
tion  that  he  might  have  to  steer  without  that  rudder 

236 


THE    REPULSE 

in  the  near  future.     His  smile  vanished.     He  smoth 
ered  a  groan  and  picked  up  the  mail. 

"  Hum!  "  he  mused,  "  the  Breeze,  a  circular,  and 
one  letter.  Hello!  it  isn't  possible  that —  Well! 
well!" 

The  letter  was  in  a  long  envelope.  He  hastily 
tore  it  open.  At  the  inclosure  he  glanced  in  evident 
excitement.  Then  his  smile  returned. 

"  Bos'n,"  he  said,  after  a  moment's  reflection, 
"  I  guess  you  and  me  won't  have  to  go  to  Ostable 
after  all."  Noticing  the  child's  look  of  disappoint 
ment,  he  added:  "But  you  needn't  go  to  schooL 
Maybe  you'd  better  not.  You  and  me'll  take  a  tramp 
alongshore.  What  do  you  say?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  Uncle  Cy !    Let's— shall  we  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  don't  see  why  not.  We'll  cruise  in  com 
pany  as  long  as  we  can,  hey,  little  girl?  The  squall's 
likely  to  strike  afore  night,"  he  muttered  half  aloud. 
"We'll  enjoy  the  fine  weather  till  it's  time  to  shorten 
sail." 

They  walked  all  that  afternoon.  Captain  Cy  was 
even  more  kind  and  gentle  with  his  small  companion 
than  usual.  He  told  her  stories  which  made  her 
laugh,  pointed  out  spots  in  the  pines  where  he  had 
played  Indian  when  a  boy,  carried  her  "  pig  back  " 
when  she  grew  tired,  and  kissed  her  tenderly  when, 
at  the  back  door  of  the  Whittaker  place,  he  set  her 
on  her  feet  again. 

"  Had  a  good  time,  dearie?  "  he  asked. 

237 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Oh,  splendid !  I  think  it's  the  best  walk  we  ever 
had,  don't  you,  Uncle  Cy?" 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder.  You  won't  forget  our 
cruises  together  when  you  are  a  big  girl  and  off 
somewheres  else,  will  you  ?  " 

"  I'll  never  forget  'em.  And  I'm  never  going  any 
where  without  you." 

It  was  after  five  as  they  entered  the  kitchen. 

"  Anybody  been  here  while  I  was  out?  "  asked  the 
captain  of  Georgianna.  The  housekeeper's  eyes  were 
red  and  swollen,  and  she  hugged  Bos'n  as  she  helped 
her  off  with  her  jacket  and  hood. 

"  Yes,  there  has,"  was  the  decided  answer.  "  First 
Ase  Tidditt,  and  then  Bailey  Bangs,  and  then  that — 
that  Angie  Phinney." 

"  Humph !  "  mused  Captain  Cy  slowly.  "  So  An 
gie  was  here,  was  she?  Where  the  carcass  is  the 
vultures  are  on  deck,  or  words  similar.  Humph ! 
Did  our  Angelic  friend  have  much  to  say?" 

"Did  she?  And  /  had  somethin'  to  say,  too!  I 
never  in  my  life!  " 

"  Humph !  "  Her  employer  eyed  her  sharply. 
"So?  And  so  soon?  Talk  about  the  telegraph 
spreadin'  news  I  I'd  back  most  any  half  dozen 
tongues  in  Bayport  to  spread  more  news,  and  add 
more  trimmin'  to  it,  in  a  day  than  the  telegraph 
could  do  in  a  week.  Especially  if  all  the  telegraph 
operators  was  like  the  one  up  at  the  depot.  Well, 
Georgianna,  when  you  goin'  to  leave?" 

238 


THE    REPULSE 

"Leave?  Leave  where?  What  are  you  talkin' 
about?" 

"  Leave  here.  Of  course  you  realize  that  this  ship 
of  ours,"  indicating  the  house  by  a  comprehensive 
wave  of  his  hand  around  the  room,  "  is  goin'  to  be 
a  mighty  unpopular  craft  from  now  on.  We  may 
be  on  a  lee  shore  any  minute.  You've  got  your  own 
well-bein'  to  think  of." 

'  My  own  well-bein' !  What  do  you  s'pcse  I 
care  for  my  well-bein'  when  there's —  Cap'n  Whit- 
taker,  you  tell  me  now !  Is  it  so?  " 

"  Some  of  it  is — yes.  He's  come  back  and  he's 
who  he  says  he  is.  You've  seen  him.  He  was  here 
all  day  yesterday." 

"  So  Angle  said,  but  I  couldn't  scarcely  believe  it. 
That  toughy!  Cap'n  Whittaker,  do  you  intend  to 
hand  over  that  poor  little  innocent  thing  to — to  such 
a  man  as  that?  " 

"  No.  There'll  be  no  handin'  over  about  it.  But 
the  odds  are  against  us,  and  there's  no  reason  why 
you  should  be  in  the  rumpus,  Georgianna.  You  may 
not  understand  what  we're  facin'." 

The  housekeeper  drew  herself  up.  Her  face  was 
very  red  and  her  small  eyes  snapped. 

"  Cy  Whittaker,"  she  began,  manners  and  defer 
ence  to  employer  alike  forgotten,  "  don't  you  say  no 
more  of  that  wicked  foolishness  to  me.  I'll  leave  the 
minute  you're  mean-spirited  enough  to  let  that  child 
go  and  not  afore.  And  when  that  happens  I'll  be 

239 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

gla d  to  leave.     Land  sakes !  there's  somebody  at  the 
door;  and  I  expect  I'm  a  perfect  sight." 

She  rubbed  her  face  with  her  apron,  thereby  mak 
ing  it  redder  than  ever,  and  hurried  into  the  dining 
room. 

"  Bos'n,"  said  Captain  Cy  quickly,  "  you  stay 
here  in  the  kitchen." 

Emmie  looked  at  him  in  surprised  bewilderment, 
but  she  suppressed  her  curiosity  concerning  the  iden 
tity  of  the  person  who  had  knocked,  and  obeyed. 
The  captain  pulled  the  kitchen  door  almost  shut 
and  listened  at  the  crack. 

The  first  spoken  words  by  the  visitor  appeared  to 
relieve  Captain  Cy's  anxiety;  but  they  seemed  to 
astonish  him  greatly. 

"Why!"  he  exclaimed  in  a  whisper.  "Ain't 
that —  It  sounds  like " 

"  It's  teacher,"  whispered  Bos'n,  who  also  had 
been  listening.  "  She's  come  to  find  out  why  I  wasn't 
at  school.  You  tell  her,  Uncle  Cy." 

Georgianna  returned  to  announce: 

"  It's  Miss  Dawes.  She  says  she  wants  to  see  you, 
Cap'n.  She's  in  the  settin'  room." 

The  captain  drew  a  long  breath.  Then,  repeating 
his  command  to  Emmie  to  stay  where  she  was,  he 
left  the  room,  closing  the  door  behind  him.  The 
latter  procedure  roused  Bos'n's  indignation. 

"  What  made  him  do  that?  "  she  demanded.  "  I 
haven't  been  bad.  He  never  shut  me  up  before !  " 

240 


THE    REPULSE 

The  schoolmistress  was  standing  by  the  center 
table  in  the  sitting  room  when  Captain  Cy  entered. 

"  Good  evenin',''  he  said  politely.  "  Won't  you 
sit  down?" 

But  Miss  Dawes  paid  no  attention  to  trivialities. 
She  seemed  much  agitated. 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  began,  "  I  just  heard 
something  that " 

The  captain  interrupted  her. 

u  Excuse  me,"  he  said,  "  but  I  think  we'll  pull 
down  the  curtains  and  have  a  little  light  on  the  sub 
ject.  It  gets  dark  early  now,  especially  of  a  gray 
day  like  this  one." 

He  drew  the  shades  at  the  windows  and  lit  the 
lamp  on  the  table.  The  red  glow  behind  the  panes 
of  the  stove  door  faded  into  insignificance  as  the  yel 
low  radiance  brightened.  The  ugly  portraits  and  the 
stiff  old  engravings  on  the  wall  retired  into  a  be 
coming  dusk.  The  old-fashioned  room  became  more 
homelike. 

"Now  won't  you  sit  down?"  repeated  Captain 
Cy.  "Take  that  rocker;  it's  the  most  comf 'table 
one  aboard — so  Bos'n  says,  anyhow." 

Miss  Phoebe  took  the  rocker,  under  protest.  Her 
host  remained  standing. 

"  It's  been  a  nice  afternoon,"  he  said.  "  Bos'n — 
Emmie,  of  course — and  I  have  been  for  a  walk. 
'Twan't  her  fault,  'twas  mine.  I  kept  her  out  of 
school.  I  was — well,  kind  of  lonesome." 

241 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  teacher's  gray  eyes  flashed  in  the  lamp 
light. 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  cried,  "  please  don't 
waste  time.  I  didn't  come  here  to  talk  about  the 
weather  nor  Emily's  reason  for  not  attending  school. 
I  don't  care  why  she  was  absent.  But  I  have  just 
heard  of  what  happened  at  that  meeting.  Is  it  true 
that — "  She  hesitated. 

'That  Emmie's  dad  is  alive  and  here?  Yes, 
it's  true." 

"  But — but  that  man  last  night?  Was  he  that 
man?" 

The.  captain  nodded. 

'  That's  the  man,"  he  said  briefly. 

Miss  Dawes  shuddered. 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  asked  earnestly,  "  are 
you  sure  he  is  really  her  father?  Absolutely  sure?  " 

"  Sure  and  sartin." 

"  Then  she  belongs  to  him,  doesn't  she?  Legally, 
I  mean?" 

"  Maybe  so." 

"  Are — are  you  going  to  give  her  up  to  him?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  what  I  heard  was  true.  You  did  say  at 
the  meeting  that  you  were  going  to  do  your  best  to 
keep  him  from  getting  her." 

"  Um — hum !  What  I  said  amounts  to  just  about 
that." 

"Why?" 

242 


THE    REPULSE 

Captain  Cy  was  surprised  and  a  little  disappointed 
apparently. 

"Why?"  he  repeated. 

"Yes.    Why?" 

"  Well,  for  reasons  I've  got." 

"  Do  you  mind  telling  me  the  reasons?  " 

"  I  cal'late  you  don't  want  to  hear  'em.  If  you 
don't  understand  now,  then  I  can't  make  it  much 
plainer,  I'm  afraid." 

The  little  lady  sprang  to  her  feet. 

"  Oh,  you  are  provoking !  "  she  cried  indignantly. 
"  Can't  you  see  that  I  want  to  hear  the  reasons  from 
you  yourself?  Cap'n  Whittaker,  I  shook  hands  with 
you  last  night." 

'  You  remember  I  told  you  you'd  better  wait." 

"  I  didn't  want  to  wait.  I  believed  I  knew  some 
thing  of  human  nature,  and  I  believed  I  had  learned 
to  understand  you.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  pay  no 
more  attention  to  what  people  said  against  you.  I 
thought  they  were  envious  and  disliked  you  because 
you  did  things  in  your  own  way.  I  wouldn't  be 
lieve  the  stories  I  heard  this  afternoon.  I  wanted 
to  hear  you  speak  in  your  own  defense  and  you 
refuse  to  do  it.  Don't  you  know  what  people  are 
saying?  They  say  you  are  trying  to  keep  Emily 
because —  Oh,  I'm  ashamed  to  ask  it,  but  you 
make  me:  Has  the  child  got  valuable  property  of 
her  own  ?  " 

Captain  Cy  had  been,  throughout  this  scene,  stand- 

243 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

ing  quietly  by  the  table.     Now  he  took  a  step  for 
ward. 

"  Miss  Dawes,"  he  said  sharply,  "  sit  down." 

"  But  I- 

"  Sit  down,  please." 

The  schoolmistress  didn't  mean  to  obey  the  order, 
but  for  some  reason  she  did.  The  captain  went  on 
speaking. 

"  It's  pretty  plain,"  he  said,  "  that  what  you  heard 
at  the  boardin'  house — for  I  suppose  that's  where 
you  did  hear  it — was  what  you  might  call  a  Phinney- 
ized  story  of  the  doin's  at  the  meetin'.  Well,  there's 
another  yarn,  and  it's  mine;  I'm  goin'  to  spin  it  and 
I  want  you  to  listen." 

He  went  on  to  spin  his  yarn.  It  was  practically  a 
repetition  of  his  reply  to  Tad  Simpson  that  morning. 
Its  conclusion  was  also  much  the  same. 

"  The  land  ain't  worth  fifty  dollars,"  he  declared, 
"  but  if  it  was  fifty  million  he  shouldn't  have  it. 
Why?  Because  it  belongs  to  that  little  girl.  And 
he  shan't  have  her  until  he  and  those  back  of  him 
have  hammered  me  through  the  courts  till  I'm  down 
forty  fathom  under  water.  And  when  they  do  get 
her — and,  to  be  honest,  I  cal'late  they  will  in  the 
end — I  hope  to  God  I  won't  be  alive  to  see  it! 
There  !  I've  answered  you." 

He  was  walking  up  and  down  the  room,  with  the 
old  quarter-deck  stride,  his  hands  jammed  deep  in  his 
pockets  and  his  face  working  with  emotion. 

244 


THE    REPULSE 

"  It's  pretty  nigh  a  single-handed  fight  for  me,"  he 
continued,  "  but  I've  fought  single-handed  before. 
The  other  side's  got  almost  all  the  powder  and  the 
Heman  and  Tad  and  that  Thomas  have  got 


men. 


"The  teacher  rose  and  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm." 

seven  eighths  of  Bayport  behind  'em,  not  to  mention 
the  '  Providence  '  they're  so  sure  of.  My  crowd  is 
a  mighty  forlorn  hope :  Dimick  and  Ase  Tidditt,  and 
Bailey,  as  much  as  his  wife  '11  let  him.  Oh,  yes!  " 
and  he  smiled  whimsically,  "  there's  another  one.  A 

245 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

new  recruit's  just  joined;  Georgianna's  enlisted. 
That's  my  army.  Sort  of  rag-jacketed  cadets,  we 
are,  small  potatoes,  and  few  in  a  hill." 

The  teacher  rose  and  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm.  He 
turned  toward  her.  The  lamplight  shone  upon  her 
face,  and  he  saw,  to  his  astonishment,  that  there  were 
tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Cap'n  Whittaker,"  she  said,  "  will  you  take  an 
other  recruit?  I  should  like  to  enlist,  please." 

"You?  Oh,  pshaw!  I'm  thick-headed  to-night. 
I  didn't  see  the  joke  of  it  at  first." 

"  There  isn't  any  joke.  I  want  you  to  know  that  I 
admire  you  for  the  fight  you're  making.  Law  or  no 
law,  to  let  that  dear  little  girl  go  away  with  that 
dreadful  father  of  hers  is  a  sin  and  a  crime.  I  came 
here  to  tell  you  so.  I  did  want  to  hear  your  story, 
and  you  made  me  ask  that  question;  but  I  was  certain 
of  your  answer  before  you  made  it.  I  don't  suppose 
I  can  do  anything  to  help,  but  I'm  going  to  try.  So, 
you  see,  your  army  is  bigger  than  you  thought  it  was 
— though  the  new  soldier  isn't  good  for  much,  I'm 
afraid,"  she  added,  with  a  little  smile. 

Captain  Cy  was  greatly  disturbed. 

"  Miss  Phoebe,"  he  said,  "  I — I  won't  say  that  it 
don't  please  me  to  have  you  talk  so,  for  it  does, 
more'n  you  can  imagine.  Sympathy  means  somethin' 
to  the  under  dog,  and  it  gives  him  spunk  to  keep  on 
kickin'.  But  you  mustn't  take  any  part  in  the  row; 
you  simply  mustn't.  It  won't  do." 

246 


THE    REPULSE 

"Why  not?    Won't  I  be  any  help?" 

"  Help?  You'd  be  more  help  than  all  the  rest  of 
us  put  together.  You  and  me  haven't  seen  a  great 
deal  of  each  other,  and  my  part  in  the  few  talks  we 
have  had  has  been  a  mean  one,  but  I  knew  the 
first  time  I  met  you  that  you  had  more  brains  and 
common  sense  than  any  woman  in  this  county — 
though  I  was  too  pig-headed  to  own  it.  But  that 
ain't  it.  I  got  you  the  job  of  teacher.  It's  no  credit 
to  me;  'twas  just  bull  luck  and  for  the  fun  of  jarrin' 
Heman.  But  I  did  it.  And,  because  I  did  it,  the 
Atkins  crowd — and  that  means  most  everybody  now 
— haven't  any  love  for  you.  My  tryin'  for  school 
committee  was  really  just  to  give  you  a  fair  chance 
in  your  position.  I  was  licked,  so  the  committee's 
two  to  one  against  you.  Don't  you  see  that  you 
mustn't  have  anything  to  do  with  me?  Don't  you 
see  it?" 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  I  see  that  common  gratitude  alone  should  be 
reason  enough  for  my  trying  to  help  you,"  she  said. 
"  But,  beside  that,  I  know  you  are  right,  and  I  shall 
help,  no  matter  what  you  say.  As  for  the  teacher's 
position,  let  them  discharge  me.  I " 

"  Don't  talk  that  way.  The  youngsters  need  you, 
and  know  it,  no  matter  what  their  fool  fathers  and 
mothers  say.  And  you  mustn't  wreck  your  chances. 
You're  young " 

She  laughed. 

247 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"Oh,  no!  I'm  not,"  she  said.  "Young!  Cap'n 
Whittaker,  you  shouldn't  joke  about  a  woman's  age." 

"  I  ain't  jokin'.  You  are  young."  As  she  stood 
there  before  him  he  was  realizing,  with  a  curiously 
uncomfortable  feeling,  how  much  younger  she  was 
than  he.  He  glanced  up  at  the  mirror,  where  his 
own  gray  hairs  were  reflected,  and  repeated  his  as 
sertion.  '  You're  young  yet,"  he  said,  "  and  bein' 
discharged  from  a  place  might  mean  a  whole  lot 
to  you.  I'm  glad  you  take  such  an  interest  in  Bos'n, 
and  your  comin'  here  on  her  account 

He  paused.  Miss  Dawes  colored  slightly  and 
said: 

"  Yes." 

"  Your  comin'  here  on  her  account  was  mighty 
good  of  you.  But  you've  got  to  keep  out  of  this 
trouble.  And  you  mustn't  come  here  again.  That's 
owner's  orders.  Why,  I'm  expectin'  a  boardin'  party 
any  minute,"  he  added.  "  I  thought  when  you 
knocked  it  was  '  papa  '  comin'  for  his  child.  You'd 
better  go." 

But  she  stood  still. 

"  I  shan't  go,"  she  declared.  "  Or,  at  least,  not 
until  you  promise  to  let  me  try  to  help  you.  If  they 
come,  so  much  the  better.  They'll  learn  where  my 
sympathies  are." 

Captain  Cy  scratched  his  head. 

"  See  here,  Miss  Phoebe,"  he  said.  "  I  ain't  sure 
that  you  fully  understand  that  Scripture  and  every- 

248 


THE    REPULSE 

thing  else  is  against  us.  Did  Angle  turn  loose  on 
you  the  'Whom  the  Lord  has  joined'  avalanche?" 

The  schoolmistress  burst  into  a  laugh.  The  cap 
tain  laughed,  too,  but  his  gravity  quickly  returned. 
For  steps  sounded  on  the  walk,  there  was  a  whis 
pering  outside,  and  some  one  knocked  on  the  dining- 
room  door. 

The  situation  was  similar  to  that  of  the  evening 
when  the  Board  of  Strategy  called  and  "  John 
Smith  "  made  his  first  appearance.  But  now,  oddly 
enough,  Captain  Cy  seemed  much  less  troubled.  He 
looked  at  Miss  Dawes  and  there  was  a  dancing  twin 
kle  in  his  eye. 

"  Is  it — "  began  the  lady,  in  an  agitated  whisper. 

"The  boardin'  party?     I  presume  likely." 

"  But  what  can  you  do?  " 

"  Stand  by  the  repel,  I  guess,"  was  the  calm  re 
ply.  "  I  told  you  that  they  had  most  of  the  ammu 
nition,  but  ours  ain't  all  blank  cartridges.  You  stay 
below  and  listen  to  the  broadsides." 

They  heard  Georgianna  cross  the  dining  room. 
There  was  a  murmur  of  voices  at  the  door.  The 
captain  nodded. 

"  It's  them,"  he  said.  "  Well,  here  goes.  Now 
don't  you  show  yourself." 

"Do  you  think  I  am  afraid?  Indeed,  I  shan't 
stay  '  below  '  as  you  call  it !  I  shall  let  them  see " 

Captain  Cy  held  up  his  hand. 

"I'm  commodore  of  this  fleet,"  he  said;  "and 
18  249 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

that  bein'  the  case,  I  expect  my  crew  to  obey  orders. 
There's  nothin'  you  can  do,  and —  Why,  yes!  there 
is,  too.  You  can  take  care  of  Bos'n.  Georgianna," 
to  the  housekeeper  who,  looking  frightened  and  ner 
vous,  had  appeared  at  the  door,  "  send  Bos'n  in  here 
quick." 

'  They're  there,"  whispered  Georgianna.  "  Mr. 
Atkins  and  Tad  and  that  Thomas  critter,  and  lots 
more.  And  they've  come  after  her.  What  shall  we 
do?" 

"  Jump  when  I  speak  to  you,  that's  the  first  thing. 
Send  Bos'n  in  here  and  you  stay  in  your  galley." 

Emily  came  running.  Miss  Dawes  put  an  arm 
about  her.  Captain  Cy,  the  battle  lanterns  still 
twinkling  under  his  brows,  stepped  forth  to  meet  the 
"  boarding  party." 

They  were  there,  as  Georgianna  had  said.  Mr. 
Thomas  on  the  top  step,  Heman  and  Simpson  on  the 
next  lower,  and  behind  them  Abel  Leonard  and  a 
group  of  interested  volunteers,  principally  recruited 
from  the  back  room  of  the  barber  shop. 

"  Evenin',  gentlemen,"  said  the  captain,  opening 
the  door  so  briskly  that  Mr.  Thomas  started  back 
ward  and  came  down  heavily  upon  the  toes  of  the 
devoted  Tad.  Mr.  Simpson  swore,  Mr.  Thomas 
clawed  about  him  to  gain  equilibrium,  and  the  dig 
nity  of  the  group  was  seriously  impaired. 

"  Evenin',"  repeated  Captain  Cy.  "  Quite  a  sur 
prise  party  you're  givin'  me.  Come  in." 

250 


a 
6 

u 

G 
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*H 


THE    REPULSE 

"  Cyrus,"  began  the  Honorable  Atkins,  "  we  are 
here  to  claim " 

"  Give  me  my  daughter,  you  robber!  "  demanded 
Thomas,  from  his  new  position  in  the  rear  of  the 
other  two. 

"  Mr.  Thomas,"  said  Heman,  "  please  remember 
that  I  am  conducting  this  affair.  I  respect  the  nat 
ural  indignation  of  an  outraged  father,  but — ahem ! 
Cyrus,  we  are  here  to  claim " 

"  Then  do  your  claimin'  inside.  It's  kind  of  chilly 
to-night,  there's  plenty  of  empty  chairs,  and  we  don't 
need  to  hold  an  overflow  meetin'.  Come  ahead  in." 

The  trio  looked  at  each  other  in  hesitation.  Then 
Mr.  Atkins  majestically  entered  the  dining  room. 
Thomas  and  Simpson  followed  him. 

"  Abe,"  observed  Captain  Cy  to  Leonard,  who 
was  advancing  toward  the  steps,  "  I'm  sorry  not  to 
be  hospitable,  but  there's  too  many  of  you  to  invite 
at  once,  and  'tain't  polite  to  show  partiality.  You 
and  the  rest  are  welcome  to  sit  on  the  terrace  or 
stroll  'round  the  deer  park.  Good  night." 

He  closed  the  door  in  the  face  of  the  disappointed 
Abel  and  turned  to  the  three  in  the  room. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  out  with  it.  You've  come  to 
claim  somethin',  I  understand." 

''  I  come  for  my  rights,"  shouted  Mr.  Thomas. 

'  Yes?  Well,  this  ain't  State's  prison  or  I'd  give 
'em  to  you  with  pleasure.  Heman,  you'd  better  do 
the  talkin'.  We'll  probably  get  ahead  faster." 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  Honorable  cleared  his  throat  and  waved  his 
hand. 

"  Cyrus,"  he  began,  "  you  are  my  boyhood  friend 
and  my  fellow  townsman  and  neighbor.  Under  such 
circumstances  it  gives  me  pain— 

"  Then  don't  let  us  discuss  painful  subjects.  Let's 
get  down  to  business.  You've  come  to  rescue  Bos'n 
— Emily,  that  is, — from  the  '  robber  ' — I'm  quotin' 
Deacon  Thomas  here — that's  got  her,  so's  to  turn 
her  over  to  her  sorrowin'  father.  Is  that  it?  Yes. 
Well,  you  can't  have  her — not  yet." 

"  Cyrus,"  said  Mr.  Atkins,  "  I'm  sorry  to  see  that 
you  take  it  this  way.  You  haven't  the  shadow  of  a 
right.  We  have  the  law  with  us,  and  your  conduct 
will  lead  us  to  invoke  it.  The  constable  is  outside. 
Shall  I  call  him  in?" 

"  Uncle  Bedny  "  was  the  town  constable  and  had 
been  since  before  the  war.  The  purely  honorary  office 
was  given  him  each  year  as  a  joke.  Captain  Cy 
grinned  broadly,  and  even  Tad  was  obliged  to  smile. 

"  Don't  be  inhuman,  Heman,"  urged  the  captain. 
'  You  wouldn't  turn  me  over  to  be  man-handled  by 
Uncle  Bedny,  would  you  ?  " 

'  This  is  not  a  humorous  affair — "  began  the  con 
gressman,  with  dignity.  But  the  "  bereaved  father  " 
had  been  prospecting  on  his  own  hook,  and  now  he 
peeped  into  the  sitting  room. 

"  Here  she  is!  "  he  shouted.  "  I  see  her.  Come 
on,  Emmie !  Your  dad's  come  for  you.  Let  go  of 

252 


THE    REPULSE 

her,  you  woman!  What  do  you  mean  by  holdin'  on 
to  her?" 

The  situation  which  was  "  not  humorous  "  imme 
diately  became  much  less  so.  The  next  minute  was 
a  lively  one.  It  ended  as  Mr.  Thomas  was  picked  up 
by  Tad  from  the  floor,  where  he  had  fallen,  having 
been  pushed  violently  over  a  chair  by  Captain  Cy. 
Bos'n,  frightened  and  sobbing,  was  clinging  wildly 
to  Miss  Dawes,  who  had  clung  just  as  firmly  to  her. 
The  captain's  voice  rang  through  the  room. 

"  That's  enough,"  he  said.  "  That's  enough  and 
some  over.  Atkins,  take  that  feller  out  of  this  house 
and  off  my  premises.  As  for  the  girl,  that's  for  us 
to  fight  out  in  the  courts.  I'm  her  guardian,  law 
fully  appointed,  and  you  nor  nobody  else  can  touch 
her  while  that  appointment's  good.  Here  it  is — 
right  here.  Now  look  at  it  and  clear  out." 

He  held,  for  the  congressman's  inspection,  the  doc 
ument  which,  inclosed  in  the  long  envelope,  had  been 
received  that  morning.  His  visit  to  Ostable,  made 
some  weeks  before,  had  been  for  the  purpose  of  ap 
plying  to  the  probate  court  for  the  appointment  as 
Emily's  guardian.  He  had  applied  before  the  news 
of  her  father's  coming  to  life  reached  him.  The 
appointment  itself  had  arrived  just  in  time. 

Mr.  Atkins  studied  the  document  with  care.  When 
he  spoke  it  was  with  considerable  agitation  and  with 
out  his  usual  diplomacy. 

"  Humph !  "  he  grunted.  "  Humph !    I  see.  Well, 

253 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

sir,  I  have  some  influence  in  this  section  and  I  shall 
see  how  long  your — your  trick  will  prevent  the 
child's  going  where  she  belongs.  I  wish  you  to  un 
derstand  that  I  shall  continue  this  fight  to  the  very 
last.  I — I  am  not  one  to  be  easily  beaten.  Simpson, 
you  and  Thomas  come  with  me.  This  night's  des 
picable  chicanery  is  only  the  beginning.  This  is 
bad  business  for  you,  Cy  Whittaker,"  he  snarled, 
his  self-control  vanishing,  "  and  " — with  a  vindictive 
glance  at  the  schoolmistress — "  for  those  who  are 
with  you  in  it.  That  appointment  wras  obtained  un 
der  false  pretenses  and  I  can  prove  it.  Your  tricks 
don't  scare  me.  I've  had  experience  with  tricks  be 
fore." 

"  Yup.  So  I've  heard.  Well,  Heman,  I  ain't  as 
well  up  in  tricks  as  you  claim  to  be,  nor  my  stockin' 
isn't  as  well  padded  as  yours,  maybe.  But  while 
there's  a  ten-cent  piece  left  in  the  toe  of  it  I'll  fight 
you  and  the  skunk  whose  '  rights  '  you  seem  to  have 
taken  such  a  shine  to.  And,  after  that,  while  there's 
a  lawyer  that  '11  trust  me.  And,  meantime,  that 
little  girl  stays  right  here,  and  you  touch  her  if  you 
dare,  any  of  you!  Anything  more  to  say?  " 

But  the  Honorable's  dignity  had  returned.  Pos 
sibly  he  thought  he  had  said  too  much  already.  A 
moment  later  the  door  banged  behind  the  discom 
forted  boarding  party. 

Captain  Cy  pulled  his  beard  and  laughed. 

"  Well,  we  repelled  'em,  didn't  we?  "  he  observed. 
254 


THE    REPULSE 

"  But,  as  friend  Heman  says,  the  beginnin's  only  be 
gun.  I  wish  he  hadn't  seen  you  here,  teacher." 

Miss  Dawes  looked  up  from  the  task  of  stroking 
poor  Bos'n's  hair. 

11 1  don't,"  she  said,  "  I'm  glad  of  it."  Then  she 
added,  laughing  nervously:  "  Cap'n  Whittaker,  how 
could  you  be  so  cool?  It  was  like  a  play.  I  de 
clare,  you  were  just  splendid!  " 


CHAPTER   XIV 

A   CLEW 

JOSIAH  DIMICK  has  a  unique  faculty  of 
grasping  a  situation  and  summing  it  up  in  an 
out-of-the-ordinary  way. 

"  I  think,"  observed  Josiah  to  the  excited  group 
at  Simmons's,  "  that  this  town  owes  Cy  Whittaker  a 
vote  of  thanks." 

"Thanks!  "  gasped  Alpheus  Smalley,  so  shocked 
and  horrified  that  he  put  the  one-pound  weight 
on  the  scales  instead  of  the  half  pound.  "Thanks! 
After  what  we've  found  out?  Well,  I  must  say!  " 

1  Ya-as,"  drawled  Captain  Josiah,  "  thanks  was 
what  I  said.  If  it  wan't  for  him  this  gang  and  the 
sewin'  circle  wouldn't  have  nothin'  to  talk  about  but 
their  neighbors.  Our  reputations  would  be  as  full 
of  holes  as  a  skimmer  by  this  time.  Now  all  hands 
are  so  busy  jumpin'  on  Whit,  that  the  rest  of  us  can 
feel  fairly  safe.  Ain't  that  so,  Gabe?" 

Mr.  Lumley,  who  had  stopped  in  for  a  half  pound 
of  tea,  grinned  feebly,  but  said  nothing.  If  he  no 
ticed  the  clerk's  mistake  in  weights  he  didn't  mention 
it,  but  took  his  package  and  hurried  out.  After  his 

256 


A    CLEW 

departure  Mr.  Smalley  himself  discovered  the  error 
and  charged  the  Lumley  account  with  "  1 1/±  Ibs. 
Mixed  Green  and  Black."  Meanwhile  the  assem 
blage  about  the  stove  had  put  Captain  Cy  on  the 
anvil  and  was  hammering  him  vigorously. 

Bayport  was  boiling  over  with  rumor  and  surmise. 
Heman  had  appealed  to  the  courts  asking  that  Cap 
tain  Cy's  appointment  as  Bos'n's  guardian  be  re 
scinded.  Cy  had  hired  Lawyer  Peabody,  of  Ostable, 
to  look  out  for  his  interests.  Mr.  Atkins  and  the 
captain  had  all  but  come  to  blows  over  the  child. 
Thomas,  the  poor  father,  had  broken  down  and 
wept,  and  had  threatened  to  commit  suicide.  Mrs. 
Salters  had  refused  to  speak  to  Captain  Cy  when  she 
met  the  latter  after  meeting  on  Sunday.  The  land  in 
Orham  had  been  sold  and  the  captain  was  using 
the  money.  Phoebe  Dawes  had  threatened  to  resign 
if  Bos'n  came  to  school  any  longer.  No,  she  had 
threatened  to  resign  if  she  didn't  come  to  school. 
She  hadn't  threatened  to  resign  at  all,  but  wanted 
higher  wages  because  of  the  effect  the  scandal  might 
have  on  her  reputation  as  a  teacher.  These  were 
a  few  of  the  reports,  contradicted  and  added  to  from 
day  to  day. 

To  quote  Josiah  Dimick  again :  "  Sortin'  out  the 
truth  from  the  lies  is  like  tryin'  to  find  a  quart  of 
sardines  in  a  schooner  load  of  herrin'.  And  they 
dump  in  more  herrin'  every  half  hour." 

Angeline  Phinney  was  having  the  time  of  her  life. 

257 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  perfect  boarding  house  hummed  like  a  fly  trap. 
Keturah  and  Mrs.  Tripp  had  deserted  to  the  enemy, 
and  the  minority,  meaning  Asaph  and  Bailey,  had 
little  opportunity  to  defend  their  friend's  cause,  even 
if  they  had  dared.  Heman  Atkins,  his  Christian 
charity  and  high-mindedness,  his  devotion  to  duty, 
regardless  of  political  consequences,  and  the  magnifi 
cent  speech  at  town  meeting  were  lauded  and  ex 
alted.  The  Bayport  Breeze  contained  a  full  account 
of  the  meeting,  and  it  was  read  aloud  by  Keturah, 
amidst  hymns  of  praise  from  the  elect. 

"'Whom  the  Lord  hath  joined,'"  read  Mrs. 
Bangs,  "  '  let  no  man  put  asunder.'  Ain't  that  splen 
did?  Ain't  that  fine?  The  paper  says:  '  When  Con 
gressman  Atkins  delivered  this  noble  sentiment  a 
hush  fell  upon  the  excited  throng.'  I  should  think 
'twould.  I  remember  when  I  was  married  the 
minister  said  pretty  nigh  the  same  thing,  and  I 
couldtit  speak.  I  couldn't  have  opened  my  mouth 
to  save  me.  Don't  you  remember  I  couldn't, 
Bailey?" 

Mr.  Bangs  nodded  gloomily.  It  is  possible  that 
he  wished  the  effect  of  the  minister's  declaration 
might  have  been  more  lasting.  Asaph  stirred  in  his 
chair. 

"  I  don't  care,"  he  said.  "  This  puttin'  asunder 
business  is  all  right,  but  there's  always  two  sides  to 
everything.  I  see  this  Thomas  critter  when  he  fust 
come,  and  he  didn't  look  like  no  saint  then — nor 

258 


1 


T3 

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A    CLEW 

smell  like  one,  neither,  unless  'twas  a  specimen  pick 
led  in  alcohol." 

Here  was  irreverence  almost  atheistic.  Keturah's 
face  showed  her  shocked  disapproval.  Matilda  Tripp 
voiced  the  general  sentiment. 

"  Humph!  "  she  sniffed.  "  Well,  all  I  can  say  is 
that  I've  met  Mr.  Thomas  two  or  three  times,  and  / 
didn't  notice  anything  but  politeness  and  good  man 
ners.  Maybe  my  nose  ain't  so  fine  for  smellin'  liquor 
as  some  folks's — p'raps  it  ain't  had  the  experience — 
but  all  7  saw  was  a  poor  lame  man  with  a  black 
eye.  I  pitied  him,  and  I  don't  care  who  hears  me 
say  it." 

"  Yes,"  concurred  Miss  Phinney,  "  and  if  he  was 
a  drinkin'  man,  do  you  suppose  Mr.  Atkins  would 
have  anything  to  do  with  him?  Cyrus  Whittaker 
made  a  whole  lot  of  talk  about  his  insultin'  some 
woman  or  other,  but  nobody  knows  who  the  woman 
Was.  'Bout  time  for  her  to  speak  up,  I  should  think. 
Teacher,"  turning  to  Miss  Dawes,  "  you  was  at  the 
Whittaker  place  when  Mr.  Atkins  and  Emily's  father 
come  for  her,  I  understand.  I  wish  I'd  have  been 
there.  It  must  have  been  wuth  seein'." 

"  It  was,"  replied  Miss  Dawes.  She  had  kept 
silent  throughout  the  various  discussions  of  the  week 
following  the  town  meeting,  but  now,  thus  appealed 
to,  she  answered  promptly. 

Angeline's  news  created  a  sensation.  The  school 
mistress  immediately  became  the  center  of  interest. 

259 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"Is  that  so?  Was  you  there,  teacher?  Well,  I 
declare!"  The  questions  and  exclamations  flew 
round  the  table. 

"  Tell  us,  teacher,"  pleaded  Keturah.  "  Wasn't 
Heman  grand?  I  should  so  like  to  have  heard 
him.  Didn't  Cap'n  Whittaker  look  ashamed  of 
himself?" 

"  No,  he  did  not.  If  anyone  looked  ashamed  it 
was  Mr.  Atkins  and  his  friends.  Perhaps  I  ought 
to  tell  you  that  my  sympathies  are  entirely  with  Cap 
tain  Whittaker  in  this  affair.  To  give  that  little  girl 
up  to  a  drunken  scoundrel  like  her  father  would,  in  my 
opinion,  be  a  crime." 

The  boarders  and  the  landlady  gasped.  Asaph 
grinned  and  nudged  Bailey  under  the  table.  Keturah 
was  the  first  to  recover. 

"Well!"  she  exclaimed.  "Everybody's  got  a 
right  to  their  opinion,  of  course.  But  I  can't  see  the 
crime,  myself.  And  as  for  the  drunkenness,  I'd  like 
to  know  who's  seen  Mr.  Thomas  drunk.  Cyrus 
Whittaker  says  he  has,  but " 

She  waved  her  hand  scornfully.  Phoebe  rose  from 
her  chair. 

"  I  have  seen  him  in  that  condition,"  she  said. 
"  In  fact,  I  am  the  person  he  insulted.  I  saw  Cap 
tain  Whittaker  knock  him  down,  and  I  honored  the 
captain  for  it.  I  only  wished  I  were  a  man  and 
could  have  done  it  myself." 

She  left  the  room,  and,  a  few  moments  later,  the 
260 


A    CLEW 

house.     Mr.  Tidditt  chuckled  aloud.     Even  Bailey 
dared  to  look  pleased. 

"  There !  "  sneered  the  widow  Tripp.  "  Ain't 
that —  Perhaps  you  remember  that  Cap'n  Whittaker 
got  her  the  teacher's  place?  " 

"  Yes,"  put  in  Miss  Phinney,  "  and  nobody  knows 
why  he  got  it  for  her.  That  is,  nobody  has  known 
up  to  now.  Maybe  we  can  begin  to  guess  a  little 
after  this." 

"  She  was  at  his  house,  was  she?  "  observed  Ketu- 
rah.  "  Humph!  I  wonder  why?  Seems  to  me  if  / 
was  a  young — that  is,  a  single  woman  like  her,  I'd 
be  kind  of  careful  about  callin'  on  bachelors. 
Humph !  it  looks  funny  to  me." 

Asaph  rose  and  pushed  back  his  charr. 

"  I  cal'late  she  called  to  see  Emily,"  he  said  sharp 
ly.  ;'  The  child  was  her  scholar,  and  I  presume 
likely,  knowin'  the  kind  of  father  that  has  turned  up 
for  the  poor  young  one,  she  felt  sorry  for  her.  Of 
course,  nobody's  hintin'  anything  against  Phoebe 
Dawes's  character.  If  you  want  a  certificate  of  that, 
you've  only  got  to  go  to  Wellmouth.  Folks  over 
there  are  pretty  keen  on  that  subject.  I  guess  the 
town  would  go  to  law  about  it  rather'n  hear  a  word 
against  her.  Libel  suits  are  kind  of  uncomf'table 
things  for  them  that  ain't  sure  of  their  facts.  I'd 
hate  to  get  mixed  up  in  one,  myself.  Bailey,  I'm 
going  up  street.  Come  on,  when  you  can,  won't 
you  ?  " 

19  261 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

As  if  frightened  at  his  own  display  of  spirit,  he 
hurried  out.  There  was  silence  for  a  time;  then  Miss 
Phinney  spoke  concerning  the  weather. 

Up  at  the  Cy  Whittaker  place  the  days  were  full 
ones.  There,  also,  legal  questions  were  discussed, 
with  Georgianna,  the  Board  of  Strategy,  Josiah  Dim- 
ick  occasionally,  and,  more  infrequently  still,  Miss 
Dawes,  as  participants  with  Captain  Cy  in  the  dis 
cussions.  Rumors  were  true  in  so  far  as  they  related 
to  Mr.  Atkins's  appeal  to  the  courts,  and  the  captain's 
retaining  Lawyer  Peabody,  of  Ostable.  Mr.  Pea- 
body's  opinion  of  the  case  was  not  encouraging. 

'  You  see,  captain,"  he  said,  when  his  client  vis 
ited  him  at  his  office,  "  the  odds  are  very  much 
against  us.  The  court  appointed  you  as  guardian 
with  the  understanding  that  this  man  Thomas  was 
dead.  Now  he  is  alive  and  claims  his  child.  More 
than  that,  he  has  the  most  influential  politician  in  this 
county  back  of  him.  We  wouldn't  stand  a  fighting 
chance  except  for  one  thing — Thomas  himself.  He 
left  his  wife  and  the  baby;  deserted  them,  so  she 
said;  went  to  get  work,  he  says.  We  can  prove  he 
was  a  drunken  blackguard  before  he  went,  and  that 
he  has  been  drunk  since  he  came  back.  But  they'll 
say — Atkins  and  his  lawyer — that  the  man  was  des 
perate  and  despairing  because  of  your  refusal  to  give 
him  his  child.  They'll  hold  him  up  as  a  repentant 
sinner,  anxious  to  reform,  and  needing  the  little  girl's 
influence  to  help  keep  him  straight.  That's  their 

262 


A    CLEW 

game,  and  they'll  play  it,  be  sure  of  that.  It  sounds 
reasonable  enough,  too,  for  sinners  have  repented  be 
fore  now.  And  the  long-lost  father  coming  back  to 
his  child  is  the  one  sure  thing  to  win  applause  from 
the  gallery,  you  know  that." 

Captain  Cy  nodded. 

"  Yup,"  he  said,  "  I  know  it.  The  other  night, 
when  Miss  Ph — when  a  friend  of  mine  was  at  the 
house,  she  said  this  business  was  like  a  play.  I  didn't 
say  so  to  her,  but  all  the  same  I  realize  it  ain't  like 
a  play  at  all.  In  a  play  dad  comes  home,  havin' 
been  snaked  bodily  out  of  the  jaws  of  the  tomb  by 
his  coat  collar,  and  the  young  one  sings  out  '  Papa ! 
Papa ! '  and  he  sobs,  '  Me  child !  Me  child !  '  and  it's 
all  lovely,  and  you  put  on  your  hat  feelin'  that  the 
old  man  is  goin'  to  be  rich  and  righteous  for  the  rest 
of  his  days.  But  here  it's  different;  dad's  a  rascal, 
and  anybody  who's  seen  anything  of  the  world  knows 
he's  bound  to  stay  so;  and  as  for  the  poor  little  girl, 
why — why ' ' 

He  stopped,  rose,  and,  striding  over  to  the  win 
dow,  stood  looking  out.  After  an  interval,  during 
which  the  good-natured  attorney  read  a  dull  business 
letter  through  for  the  second  time,  he  spoke  again. 

"  I  hope  you  understand,  Peabody,"  he  said.  "  It 
ain't  just  selfishness  that  makes  me  steer  the  course 
I'm  runnin'.  Course,  Bos'n's  got  to  be  the  world  and 
all  to  me,  and  if  she's  taken  away  I  don't  know's  I 
care  a  tinker's  darn  what  happens  afterwards.  But, 

263 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

all  the  same,  if  her  dad  was  a  real  man,  sorry  for 
what  he's  done  and  tryin'  to  make  up  for  it — why, 
then,  I  cal'late  I'm  decent  enough  to  take  off  my  hat, 
hand  her  over,  and  say:  'God  bless  you  and  good 
luck.'  But  to  think  of  him  carryin'  her  off  the  Lord 
knows  where,  to  neglect  her  and  cruelize  her,  and  to 
let  her  grow  up  among  fellers  like  him,  I — I — by 
the  big  dipper,  I  can't  do  it!  That's  all;  I  can't!  " 

"How  does  she  feel  about  it,  herself?"  asked 
Peabody. 

"  Her?  Bos'n?  Why,  that's  the  hardest  of  all. 
Some  of  the  children  at  school  pester  her  about  her 
father.  I  don't  know's  you  can  blame  'em;  young 
ones  are  made  that  way,  I  guess — but  she  comes 
home  to  me  cryin',  and  it's  '  O  Uncle  Cy,  he  ain't  my 
truly  father,  is  he?'  and  'You  won't  let  him  take 
me  away  from  you,  will  you?'  till  it  seems  as  if  I 
should  fly  out  of  the  window.  The  poor  little  thing ! 
[And  that  puffed-up  humbug  Atkins  blowin'  about  his 
Christianity  and  all !  D — n  such  Christianity  as  that, 
'I  say!  I've  seen  heathen  Injuns,  who  never  heard  of 
Christ,  with  more  of  His  spirit  inside  'em.  There ! 
I've  shocked  you,  I  guess.  Sometimes  I  think  this 
place  is  too  narrer  and  cramped  for  me.  I've  been 
around,  you  know,  and  my  New  England  bringin'  up 
has  wore  thin  in  spots.  Seem's  if  I  must  get  some- 
wheres  and  spread  out,  or  I'll  bust." 

He  threw  himself  into  a  chair.  The  lawyer 
clapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 

264 


A    CLEW 

"  There,  there,  captain,"  he  said.  "  Don't  '  bust ' 
yet  awhile.  Don't  give  up  the  ship.  If  we  lose  in 
one  court,  we  can  appeal  to  another,  and  so  on  up  the 
line.  And  meantime  we'll  do  a  little  investigating 
of  friend  Thomas's  career  since  he  left  Concord. 
I've  written  to  a  legal  acquaintance  of  mine  in  Butte, 
giving  him  the  facts  as  we  know  them,  and  a  descrip 
tion  of  Thomas.  He  will  try  to  find  out  what  the 
fellow  did  in  his  years  out  West.  It's  our  best 
chance,  as  I  told  you.  Keep  your  pluck  up  and  wait 
and  see." 

The  captain  repeated  this  conversation  to  the 
Board  of  Strategy  when  he  returned  to  Bayport. 
Miss  Dawes  had  walked  home  from  school  with 
Bos'n,  and  had  stopped  at  the  house  to  hear  the  re 
port.  She  listened,  but  it  was  evident  that  some 
thing  else  was  on  her  mind. 

"  Captain  Whittaker,"  she  asked,  "  has  it  ever 
struck  you  as  queer  that  Mr.  Atkins  should  take  such 
an  interest  in  this  matter?  He  is  giving  time  and 
counsel  and  money  to  help  this  man  Thomas,  who  is 
a  perfect  stranger  to  him.  Why  does  he  do  it?  " 

Captain  Cy  smiled. 

"Why?"  he  repeated.  "Why,  to  down  me,  of 
course.  I  was  gettin'  too  everlastin'  prominent  in 
politics  to  suit  him.  I'd  got  you  in  as  teacher,  and  I 
had  'Lonzo  Snow  as  good  as  licked  for  school  com 
mittee.  Goodness  knows  what  I  might  have  run  for 
next,  'cordin'  to  Heman's  reasonin',  and  I  simply 

265 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

had  to  be  smashed.  It  worked  all  right.  I'm  so  un 
healthy  now  in  the  sight  of  most  folks  in  this  town, 
that  I  cal'late  they  go  home  and  sulphur-smoke  their 
clothes  after  they  meet  me,  so's  not  to  catch  my 
wickedness." 

But  the  teacher  shook  her  head. 

'  That  doesn't  seem  reason  enough  to  me,"  she 
declared.  "  Just  see  what  Mr.  Atkins  has  done.  He 
never  openly  advocated  anything  in  town  meeting  be 
fore;  you  said  so  yourself.  Even  when  he  must  have 
realized  that  you  had  the  votes  for  committeeman  he 
kept  still.  He  might  have  taken  many  of  them  from 
you  by  simply  coming  out  and  declaring  for  Mr. 
Snow;  but  he  didn't.  And  then,  all  at  once,  he  takes 
this  astonishing  stand.  Captain  Whittaker,  Mr.  Tid- 
ditt  says  that,  the  night  of  Emily's  birthday  party, 
you  and  he  told  who  she  was,  by  accident,  and  that 
Mr.  Atkins  seemed  very  much  surprised  and  upset. 
Is  that  so?  " 

Captain  Cy  laughed. 

"  His  lemonade  was  upset;  that's  all  I  noticed 
special.  Oh !  yes,  and  he  lost  his  hat  off,  goin'  home. 
But  what  of  it?  What  are  you  drivin'  at?  " 

"  I  was  wondering  if — if  it  could  be  that,  for  some 
reason,  Mr.  Atkins  had  a  spite  against  Emily  or  her 
people.  Or  if  he  had  any  reason  to  fear  her." 

"Fear?  Fear  Bos'n?  Oh,  my,  that's  funny! 
You've  been  readin'  novels,  I'm  'fraid,  teacher, 
'though  I  didn't  suspect  it  of  you." 

266 


A    CLEW 

He  laughed  heartily.  Miss  Dawes  smiled,  too, 
but  she  still  persisted. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  know.  Perhaps  it  is 
because  I'm  a  woman,  and  politics  don't  mean  as 
much  to  me  as  to  you  men,  but  to  me  political  rea 
sons  don't  seem  strong  enough  to  account  for  such 
actions  as  those  of  Mr.  Atkins.  Emily's  mother  was 
a  Thayer,  wasn't  she?  and  the  Thayers  once  lived  in 
Orham.  I  wish  we  could  find  out  more  about  them 
while  they  lived  there." 

Asaph  Tidditt  pulled  his  beard  thoughtfully. 

"  Well,"  he  observed,  "  maybe  we  can,  if  we  want 
to,  though  I  don't  think  what  we  find  out  '11  amount 
to  nothin'.  I  was  kind  of  cal'latin'  to  go  to  Orham 
next  week  on  a  little  visit.  Seth  Wingate  over  th^re 
— Barzilla  Wingate's  cousin,  Whit — is  a  sort  of  re 
lation  of  mine,  and  we  visit  back  and  forth  every 
nine  or  ten  year  or  so.  The  ten  year's  most  up,  and 
he's  been  pesterin'  me  to  come  over.  Seth's  been 
Orham  town  clerk  about  as  long  as  I've  been  the  Bay- 
port  one,  and  he's  lived  there  all  his  life.  What  he 
don't  know  about  Orham  folks  ain't  wuth  knowin'. 
If  you  say  so,  I'll  pump  him  about  the  Thayers  and 
the  Richards.  'Twon't  do  no  harm,  and  the  old  fool 
likes  to  talk,  anyhow.  I  don't  know's  I  ought  to 
speak  that  way  about  my  relations,"  he  added  doubt 
fully,  "  but  Seth  is  sort  of  stubborn  and  unlikely  at 
odd  times.  We  don't  always  agree  as  to  which  is  the 
best  town  to  live  in,  you  understand." 

267 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

So  it  was  settled  that  Mr.  Wingate  should  be  sub 
jected  to  the  "  pumping  "  process  when  Asaph  vis 
ited  him.  He  departed  for  this  visit  the  following 
week,  and  remained  away  for  ten  days.  Meanwhile 
several  things  happened  in  Bayport. 

One  of  these  things  was  the  farewell  of  the  Hon 
orable  Heman  Atkins.  Congress  was  to  open  at 
Washington,  and  the  Honorable  heeded  the  call  of 
duty.  Alicia  and  the  housekeeper  went  with  him, 
and  the  big  house  was  closed  for  the  winter.  At 
the  gate  between  the  stone  urns,  and  backed  by  the 
iron  dogs,  the  great  man  bade  a  group  of  admiring 
constituents  good-by.  He  thanked  them  for  their 
trust  in  him,  and  promised  that  it  should  not  be 
betrayed. 

"  I  leave  you,  my  fellow  townsmen,  er — ladies  and 
friends,"  he  said,  "  with  regret,  tempered  by  pride — 
a  not  inexcusable  pride,  I  believe.  In  the  trying  ex 
perience  which  my  self-respect  and  sympathy  has  so 
recently  forced  upon  me,  you  have  stood  firm  and 
cheered  me  on.  The  task  I  have  undertaken,  the 
task  of  restoring  to  a  worthy  man  his  own,  shall  be 
carried  on  to  the  bitterest  extremity.  I  have  put  my 
hand  to  the  plow,  and  it  shall  not  be  withdrawn. 
And,  furthermore,  I  go  to  my  work  at  Washington 
determined  to  secure  for  my  native  town  the  appro 
priation  which  it  so  sorely  needs.  I  shall  secure  it 
if  I  can,  even  though — "  and  the  sarcasm  was  hugely 
enjoyed  by  his  listeners — "  I  am,  as  I  seem  likely  to 

268. 


A    CLEW 

be,  deprived  of  the  help  of  the  '  committee,'  self- 
appointed  at  our  recent  town  meeting.  If  I  fail — 
and  I  do  not  conceal  the  fact  that  I  may  fail — I  am 
certain  you  will  not  blame  me.  Now  I  should  like 
to  shake  each  one  of  you  by  the  hand." 

The  hands  were  shaken,  and  the  train  bore  the 
Atkins  delegation  away.  And,  on  the  day  following, 
Mr.  Thomas,  the  prodigal  father,  also  left  town.  A 
position  in  Boston  had  been  offered  him,  he  said, 
and  he  felt  that  he  must  accept  it.  He  would  come 
back  some  of  these  days,  with  the  warrant  from  the 
court,  and  get  his  little  girl. 

"Position  offered  him!  Um — ya-as !  "  quoth 
Dimick  the  cynical,  in  conversation  with  Captain 
Cy.  "  Inspector  of  sidewalks,  I  shouldn't  wonder. 
Well,  please  don't  ask  me  if  I  think  Heman  sent 
him  to  Boston  so's  to  have  him  out  of  the  way,  and 
'cause  he'd  feel  consider'ble  safer  than  if  he  was 
loose  down  here.  Don't  ask  me  that,  for,  with  my 
strict  scruples  against  the  truth  I  might  say,  No.  As 
it  is,  I  say  nothin' — and  wink  my  port  eye." 

The  ten-day  visit  ended,  Mr.  Tidditt  returned  to 
Bayport.  On  the  afternoon  of  his  return  he  and 
Bailey  called  at  the  Whittaker  place,  and  there  they 
were  joined  by  Miss  Dawes,  who  had  been  sum 
moned  to  the  conclave  by  a  note  intrusted  to  Bos'n. 

"  Now,  Ase,"  ordered  Captain  Cy,  as  the  quar 
tet   gathered   in   the   sitting   room,    "  here   we    are, 
hangin'  on  your  words,  as  the  feller  said.      Don't 

269 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

keep  us  strung  up  too  long.  What  did  you  find 
out?" 

The  town  clerk  cleared  his  throat.  When  he 
spoke,  there  was  a  trace  of  disappointment  in  his 
tone.  To  have  been  able  to  electrify  his  audience 
with  the  news  of  some  startling  discovery  would  have 
been  pure  joy  for  Asaph. 

"  Well,"  he  began,  "  I  don't  know's  I  found  out 
anything  much.  Yet  I  did  find  out  somethin',  too; 
but  it  don't  really  amount  to  nothin'.  I  hoped 
'twould  be  somethin'  more'n  'twas,  but  when  nothin' 
come  of  it  except  the  little  somethin'  it  begun  with, 


"  For  the  land  sakes  !  "  snapped  Bailey  Bangs,  who 
was  a  trifle  envious  of  his  friend's  position  in  the 
center  of  the  stage,  "  stop  them  '  nothin's  '  and 
*  somethin's,'  won't  you?  You  keep  whirlin'  'em 
round  and  over  and  over  till  my  head's  full  of 
'  nothin','  and  --  " 

"  That's  what  it's  full  of  most  of  the  time,"  in 
terrupted  Asaph  tartly.  Captain  Cy  hastened  to  act 
as  peacemaker. 

"Never  mind,  Bailey,"  he  said;  "you  let  Ase 
alone.  Tell  us  what  you  did  find  out,  Asc,  and  cut 
out  the  trimmin's." 

"Well,"  continued  Mr.  Tidditt,  with  a  glare  at 
Bangs,  "  I  asked  Seth  about  the  Thayers  and  the 
Richards  folks  the  very  fust  night  I  struck  Orham. 
He  remembered  'em,  of  course;  he  can  remember 

270 


\ 


g 
IS 
o 


A    CLEW 

Adam,  if  you  let  him  tell  it.  He  told  me  a  whole 
mess  about  old  man  Thayer  and  old  man  Richards 
and  their  granddads  and  grandmarms,  and  what 
houses  they  lived  in,  and  how  many  hens  they  kept, 
and  what  their  dog's  name  was,  and  how  they  come 
to  name  him  that,  and  enough  more  to  fill  a  hogshead. 
'Twas  ten  o'clock  afore  he  got  out  of  Genesis,  and 
down  so  fur  as  John  and  Emily.  He  remembered 
their  bein'  married,  and  their  baby — Mary  Thayer, 
Bos'n's  ma — bein'  born. 

"  Folks  used  to  call  John  Thayer  a  smart  young 
feller,  so  Seth  said.  They  used  to  cal'late  that  he'd 
rise  high  in  the  seafarin'  and  ship-ownin'  line.  May 
be  he  would,  only  he  died  somewheres  in  Californy 
'long  in  '54  or  thereabouts.  'Twas  the  time  of  the 
gold  craziness  out  there,  and  he  left  his  ship  and 
went  gold  huntin'.  And  the  next  thing  they  knew 
he  was  dead  and  buried." 

;' When  was  that?"  inquired  the  schoolmistress. 

"  In  '54,  I  tell  you.     So  Seth  says." 

;'  What  ship  was  he  on?  "  asked  Bailey. 

;<  Wan't  on  any  ship.  Why  don't  you  listen,  in 
stead  of  settin'  there  moonin'  ?  He  was  gold  dig- 
gin',  I  tell  you." 

"  He'd  been  on  a  ship,  hadn't  he?  What  was  the 
name  of  her?  " 

"  I  didn't  ask.    What  diff'rence  does  that  make?  " 
'Wasn't  Mr.  Atkins  at  sea  in  those  days?"  put 
in  the  teacher.     The  captain  answered  her, 

271 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

'  Yes,  he  was,"  he  said.  '  That  is,  I  think  he  was. 
He  was  away  from  here  when  I  skipped  out,  and  he 
didn't  get  back  till  '61  or  thereabouts." 

"  Well,  anyhow,"  went  on  Asaph,  "  that's  all  I 
could  find  out.  Seth  and  me  went  rummagin'  through 
town  records  from  way  back  to  glory,  him  gassin' 
away  and  stringin'  along  about  this  old  settler  and 
that,  till  I  'most  wished  he'd  choke  himself  with 
the  dust  he  was  raisin'.  We  found  John's  grandad's 
will,  and  Emily's  dad's  will,  and  John's  own  will, 
and  that's  all.  John  left  everything  he  had  and  all 
he  might  become  possessed  of  to  his  wife  and  baby 
and  their  heirs  forever.  He  died  poorer'n  poverty. 
What's  the  use  of  a  will  when  you  ain't  got  nothin' 
to  leave  ?  " 

"Why!"  exclaimed  Captain  Cy.  "The  answer 
to  that's  easy.  John  was  goin'  to  sea,  and,  more'n 
likely,  intended  to  have  a  shy  at  the  diggin's  afore 
he  got  back.  So,  if  he  did  make  any  money,  he 
wanted  his  wife  and  baby  to  have  it." 

"  Well,  what  they  got  wan't  wuth  havin'.  Emily 
had  to  scrimp  along  and  do  dressmakin'  till  she  died. 
She  done  fairly  well  at  that,  though,  and  saved 
somethin'  and  passed  it  over  to  Mary.  And  Mary 
married  Henry  Thomas,  after  she  went  with  the 
Howes  tribe  to  Concord,  and  he  got  rid  of  it  for  her 
in  double  quick  time — all  but  the  Orham  land." 

"So  that  was  all  you  could  find  out,  hey,  Ase?" 
asked  the  captain.  "  Well,  it's  at  least  as  much  as  I 

272 


A    CLEW 

expected.  You  see,  teacher,  these  story-book  notions 
don't  work  out  when  it  comes  to  real  life." 

Miss  Dawes  was  plainly  disappointed. 

"  I  wish  we  knew  more,"  she  said.  "  Who  was 
on  this  ship  with  Mr.  Thayer?  And  who  sent  the 
news  of  his  death  home?" 

"  Oh,  I  can  tell  you  that,"  said  Asaph.  "  Twas 
some  one-hoss  doctor  out  there,  gold  minin'  himself, 
he  was.  John  died  of  a  quick  fever.  Got  cold  and 
went  off  in  no  time.  Seth  remembered  that  much, 
though  he  couldn't  remember  the  doctor's  name.  He 
said,  if  I  wanted  to  learn  more  about  the  Thayers, 
I  might  go  see —  Humph,  well,  never  mind  that. 
'Twas  just  foolishness,  anyhow." 

But  Phoebe  persisted. 

"To  see  whom?"  she  asked.  "Some  one  you 
knew?  A  friend  of  yours?  " 

Asaph  turned  red. 

"  Friend  of  mine !  "  he  snarled.  "  No,  sir!  she 
ain't  no  friend  of  mine,  I'm  thankful  to  say.  More 
a  friend  of  Bailey's,  here,  if  she's  anybody's.  One 
of  his  pets,  she  was,  for  a  spell.  A  patient  of  his, 
you  might  say;  anyhow,  he  prescribed  for  her.  'Twas 
that  deef  idiot,  Debby  Beasley,  Cy;  that's  who  'twas. 
Her  name  was  Briggs  afore  she  married  Beasley, 
and  she  was  hired  help  for  Emily  Thayer,  when 
Mary  was  born,  and  until  John  died." 

Captain  Cy  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  Bailey 
sprang  out  of  his  chair. 

273 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  De— Debby  Beasley!  "  he  stammered.  "  Debby 
Beasley!  " 

"  She  was  that  deef  housekeeper  Bailey  hired  for 
me,  teacher,"  explained  the  captain.  "  I've  told  you 
about  her.  Ho !  ho  !  so  that's  the  end  of  the  mystery 
huntin'.  We  go  gunnin'  for  Heman  Atkins,  and  we 
bring  down  Debby!  Well,  Ase,  goin'  to  see  the  old 
lady?" 

Mr.  Tidditt's  retort  was  emphatic. 

"  Goin'  to  see  her?  "  he  repeated.  "  I  guess  not! 
Godfrey  scissors !  I  told  Seth,  says  I,  '  I've  had  all 
the  Debby  Beasley  /  want,  and  I  cal'late  Cy  Whit- 
taker  feels  the  same  way.'  Go  to  see  her!  I  wouldn't 
go  to  see  her  if  she  was  up  in  Paradise  a-hollerin' 
for  me." 

"  Nobody  up  there's  goin'  to  holler  for  you,  Ase 
Tidditt,"  remarked  Bailey,  with  sarcasm;  "so  don't 
let  that  worry  you  none." 

"  Are  you  going  to  see  her,  Captain  Whittaker?  " 
asked  Phoebe. 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 

"  Why,  no,  I  guess  not,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  take 
much  stock  in  what  she'd  be  likely  to  know;  besides, 
I'm  a  good  deal  like  Ase — I've  had  about  all  the 
Debby  Beasley  I  want." 


CHAPTER   XV 

DEBBY  BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

MRS.  BANGS,"  said  the  schoolmistress,  as 
if  it  was   the  most  casual   thing  in   the 
world,  "  I  want  to  borrow  your  husband 
to-morrow." 

It  was  Friday  evening,  and  supper  at  the  perfect 
boarding  house  had  advanced  as  far  as  the  stewed 
prunes  and  fruit-cake  stage.  Keturah,  who  was  care 
fully  dealing  out  the  prunes,  exactly  four  to  each 
saucer,  stopped  short,  spoon  in  air,  and  gazed  at 
Miss  Dawes. 

"You — you  want  to  what!"  she  asked. 
"  I  want  to  borrow  your  husband.     I  want  him 
all  day,  too,  because  I'm  thinking  of  driving  over 
to  Trumet,  and  I  need  a  coachman.    You'll  go,  won't 
you,  Mr.  Bangs?" 

Bailey,  who  had  been  considering  the  advisability 
o£  asking  for  a  second  cup  of  tea,  brightened  up 
and  looked  pleased. 

'  Why,  yes,"  he  answered,   "  I'll  go.     I  can  go 
just  as  well  as  not.     Fact  is,  I'd  like  to.     Ain't  been 
to  Trumet  I  don't  know  when." 
20  275 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Miss  Phinney  and  the  widow  Tripp  looked  at  each 
other.  Then  they  both  looked  at  Keturah.  That 
lady's  mouth  closed  tightly,  and  she  resumed  her 
prune  distribution. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  she  said  crisply,  "but  I'm  'fraid  he 
can't  go.  It's  Saturday,  and  I'll  need  him  round  the 
house.  Do  you  care  for  cake  to-night,  Elviry?  I'm 
'fraid  it's  pretty  dry;  I  ain't  had  time  to  do  much 
bakin'  this  week." 

"  Of  course,"  continued  the  smiling  Phoebe,  "  I 
shouldn't  think  of  asking  him  to  go  for  nothing.  I 
didn't  mean  borrow  him  in  just  that  way.  I  was 
thinking  of  hiring  your  horse  and  buggy,  and,  as  I'm 
not  used  to  driving,  I  thought  perhaps  I  might  en 
gage  Mr.  Bangs  to  drive  for  me.  I  expected  to  pay 
for  the  privilege.  But,  as  you  need  him,  I  suppose  I 
must  get  my  rig  and  driver  somewhere  else.  I'm  so 
sorry." 

The  landlady's  expression  changed.  This  was  the 
dull  season,  and  opportunities  to  "  let  "  the  family 
steed  and  buggy — "  horse  and  team,"  we  call  it  in 
Bayport — were  few. 

"  Well,"  she  observed,  "  I  don't  want  to  be  un 
likely  and  disobligin'.  Par's  he's  concerned,  he'd 
rather  be  traipsin'  round  the  country  than  stay  to 
home,  any  day;  though  it's  been  so  long  sence  he 
took  me  to  ride  that  I  don't  know's  I'd  know  how 
to  act." 

'  Why,  Ketury!  "  protested  her  husband.  "  How 
276 


DEBBY    BEASLEY    TO    THE    RESCUE 

you  talk!  Didn't  I  drive  you  down  to  the  grave 
yard  only  last  Sunday — or  the  Sunday  afore?" 

"  Graveyard!  Yes,  I  notice  our  rides  always  fetch 
up  at  the  graveyard.  You're  always  willin'  to  take 
me  there.  Seems  sometimes  as  if  you  enjoyed  doin' 
it." 

"  Now,  Keturah !  you  know  yourself  that  'twas 
you  proposed  goin'  there.  You  said  you  wanted  to 
look  at  our  lot,  'cause  you  was  afraid  'twan't  big 
enough,  and  you  didn't  know  but  we'd  ought  to  add 
on  another  piece.  You  said  that  it  kept  you  awake 
nights  worryin'  for  fear  when  I  passed  away  you 
wouldn't  have  room  in  that  lot  for  me.  Land  sakes ! 
don't  I  remember?  Didn't  you  give  me  the  blue 
creeps  talkin'  about  it?" 

Mrs.  Bangs  ignored  this  outburst.  Turning  to  the 
school  teacher,  she  said  with  a  sigh: 

''  Well,  I  guess  he  can  go.  I'll  get  along  somehow. 
I  hope  he'll  be  careful  of  the  buggy;  we  had  it 
painted  only  last  January." 

Mrs.  Tripp  ventured  a  hinted  question  concerning 
the  teacher's  errand  at  Trumet.  The  reply  being 
noncommittal,  the  widow  cheerfully  prophesied  that 
she  guessed  'twas  going  to  rain  or  snow  next  day. 
''  It's  about  time  for  the  line  storm,"  she  added. 

But  it  did  not  storm,  although  a  brisk,  cold  gale 
was  blowing  when,  after  breakfast  next  morning,  the 
"  horse  and  team,"  with  Bailey  in  his  Sunday  suit 
and  overcoat,  and  Miss  Dawes  on  the  buggy  seat 

277 


CY«   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

beside  him,  turned  out  of  the  boarding-house  yard 
and  started  on  the  twelve-mile  journey  to  Trumet. 

It  was  a  bleak  ride.  Denboro,  the  village  ad 
joining  Bayport  on  the  bay  side,  is  a  pretty  place, 
with  old  elms  and  silverleafs  shading  the  main  street 
in  summer,  and  with  substantial  houses  set  each  in 
its  trim  yard.  But  beyond  Denboro  the  Trumet  road 
winds  out  over  rolling,  bare  hills,  with  cranberry 
bogs,  now  flooded  and  skimmed  with  ice,  in  the  hol 
lows  between  them,  clumps  of  bayberry  and  beach- 
plum  bushes  scattered  over  their  rounded  slopes,  and 
white  scars  in  their  sides  showing  where  the  cran 
berry  growers  have  cut  away  the  thin  layer  of  coarse 
grass  and  moss  to  reach  the  sand  beneath,  sand  which 
they  use  in  preparing  their  bogs  for  the  new  vines. 

And  the  wind!  There  is  always  a  breeze  along 
the  Trumet  road,  even  in  summer — when  the  mos 
quitoes  lie  in  wait  to  leeward  like  buccaneers  until, 
sighting  the  luckless  wayfarer  in  the  offing,  they 
drive  down  before  the  wind  in  clouds,  literally  to  eat 
him  alive.  They  are  skilled  navigators,  those  Trumet 
road  mosquitoes,  and  they  know  the  advantage  of 
snug  harbors  under  hat  brims  and  behind  spreading 
ears.  And  each  individual  smashed  by  a  frantic 
palm  leaves  a  thousand  blood  relatives  to  attend  his 
funeral  and  exact  revenge  after  the  Corsican  fashion. 

Now,  in  December,  there  were,  of  course,  no  mos 
quitoes,  but  the  wind  tore  across  those  bare  hilltops 
in  gusts  that  rocked  the  buggy  on  its  springs.  The 

278 


DEBBY    BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

bayberry  bushes  huddled  and  crouched  before  it. 
The  sky  was  covered  with  tumbling,  flying  clouds, 
which  changed  shape  continually,  and  ripped  into 
long,  fleecy  ravelings,  that  broke  loose  and  pelted 
on  until  merged  into  the  next  billowy  mass.  The  bay 
was  gray  and  white,  and  in  the  spots  where  an  oc 
casional  sunbeam  broke  through  and  struck  it,  flashed 
like  a  turned  knife  blade. 

Bailey  drove  with  one  hand  and  held  his  hat  on 
his  head  with  the  other.  The  road  had  been  deeply 
rutted  during  the  November  rains,  and  now  the  ruts 
were  frozen.  The  buggy  wheels  twisted  and  scraped 
as  they  turned  in  the  furrows. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  the  schoolmistress, 
shouting  so  as  to  be  heard  above  the  flapping  of  the 
buggy  curtains.  "  Why  do  you  watch  that  wheel?  " 

"  'Fraid  of  the  axle,"  whooped  Mr.  Bangs  in  re 
ply.  "  Nut's  kind  of  loose,  for  one  thing,  and  the 
way  the  wheel  wobbles  I'm  scart  she'll  come  off.  Call 
this  a  road !  "  he  snorted  indignantly.  "  More  like 
a  plowed  field  a  consider'ble  sight.  Jerushy,  how  she 
blows !  No  wonder  they  raise  so  many  deef  and  dumb 
folks  in  Trumet.  I'd  talk  sign  language  myself  if  I 
lived  here.  What's  the  use  of  wastin'  strength  pump- 
in'  up  words  when  they're  blowed  back  down  your 
throat  fast  enough  to  choke  you?  Git  dap,  Henry! 
Don't  you  see  the  meetin'  house  steeple?  We're 
most  there,  thank  the  goodness." 

In  Trumet  Center,  which  is  not  much  of  a  center, 
279 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Miss  Dawes  alighted  from  the  buggy  and  entered 
a  building  bearing  a  sign  with  the  words  "  Metro 
politan  Variety  Store,  Joshua  Atwood,  Prop'r,  Gro 
ceries,  Coal,  Dry  Goods,  Insurance,  Boots  and  Shoes, 
Garden  Seeds,  etc."  A  smaller  sign  beneath  this 
was  lettered  "  Justice  of  the  Peace,"  and  one  below 
that  read  "  Post  Office." 

She  emerged  a  moment  later,  followed  by  an 
elderly  person  in  a  red  cardigan  jacket  and  overalls. 

"  Take  the  fust  turnin'  to  the  left,  marm,"  he 
said  pointing.  "  It's  pretty  nigh  to  East  Trumet 
townhall.  Fust  house  this  side  of  the  blacksmith 
shop.  About  two  mile,  I'd  say.  Windy  day  for 
drivin',  ain't  it?  That  horse  of  yours  belongs  in 
Bayport,  I  cal'late.  Looks  to  me  like —  Hello, 
Bailey!" 

"  Hello,  Josh !  "  grunted  Mr.  Bangs,  adding  an 
explanatory  aside  to  the  effect  that  he  knew  Josh 
Atwood,  the  latter  having  once  lived  in  Bayport. 

"  But  say,"  he  asked  as  they  moved  on  once  more, 
"have  we  got  to  go  to  East  Trumet?  Jerushy! 
that's  the  place  where  the  wind  comes  from.  They 
raise  it  over  there;  anyhow,  they  don't  raise  much 
else.  Whose  house  you  goin'  to?" 

He  had  asked  the  same  question  at  least  ten  times 
since  leaving  home,  and  each  time  Miss  Dawes  had 
evaded  it.  She  did  so  now,  saying  that  she  was  sure 
she  should  know  the  house  when  they  got  to  it. 

The  two  miles  to  East  Trumet  were  worse  than 
280 


DEBBY    BEASLEY    TO    THE    RESCUE 

the  twelve  which  they  had  come.  The  wind  fairly 
shrieked  here,  for  the  road  paralleled  the  edge  of 
high  sand  bluffs  close  by  the  shore,  and  the  ruts  and 
"  thank-you-marms  "  were  trying  to  the  temper.  Bai 
ley's  was  completely  wrecked. 

'  Teacher,"  he  snapped  as  they  reached  the  crest 
of  a  long  hill,  and  a  quick  grab  at  his  hat  alone 
prevented  its  starting  on  a  balloon  ascension,  "  get 
out  a  spell,  will  you?  IVe  got  to  swear  or  bust, 
and  'long's  you're  aboard  I  can't  swear.  What  you 
standin'  still  for,  you?  "  he  bellowed  at  poor  Henry, 
the  horse,  wrho  had  stopped  to  rest.  "  I  cal'late  the 
critter  thinks  that  last  cyclone  must  have  blowed  me 
sky  high,  and  he's  waitin'  to  see  where  I  light.  Git 
dap!" 

"  I  guess  I  shall  get  out  very  soon  now,"  panted 
Phoebe.  "  There's  the  blacksmith  shop  over  there 
near  the  next  hill,  and  this  house  in  the  hollow  must 
be  the  one  I'm  looking  for." 

They  pulled  up  beside  the  house  in  the  hollow.  A 
little,  story-and-a-half  house  it  was,  and,  judging 
by  the  neglected  appearance  of  the  weeds  and  bushes 
in  the  yard,  it  had  been  unoccupied  for  some  time. 
However,  the  blinds  were  now  open,  and  a  few  fowls 
about  the  back  door  seemed  to  promise  that  some  one 
was  living  there.  The  wooden  letter  box  by  the  gate 
had  a  name  stenciled  upon  it.  Miss  Dawes  sprang- 
from  the  buggy  and  looked  at  the  box. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  This  is  the  place.  Will  you 
281 


come  in,  Mr.  Bangs?     You  can  put  your  horse  in 
that  barn,  I'm  sure,  if  you  want  to." 

But  Bailey  declined  to  come  in.  He  declared  he 
was  going  on  to  the  blacksmith's  shop  to  have  that 
wheel  fixed.  He  would  not  feel  safe  to  start  for 
home  with  it  as  it  was.  He  drove  off,  and  Miss 
Dawes,  knowing  from  lifelong  experience  that  front 
doors  are  merely  for  show,  passed  around  the  main 
body  of  the  house  and  rapped  on  the  door  in  the  ell. 
The  rap  was  not  answered,  though  she  could  hear 
some  one  moving  about  within,  and  a  shrill  voice 
singing  "  The  Sweet  By  and  By."  So  she  rapped 
again  and  again,  but  still  no  one  came  to  the  door. 
At  last  she  ventured  to  open  it. 

A  thin  woman,  with  her  head  tied  up  in  a  colored 
cotton  handkerchief,  was  in  the  room,  vigorously 
wielding  a  broom.  She  was  singing  in  a  high  cracked 
voice.  The  opening  of  the  door  let  in  a  gust  of  cold 
wind  which  struck  the  singer  in  the  back  of  the 
neck,  and  caused  her  to  turn  around  hastily. 

"  Hey?  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Land  sakes !  you  scare 
a  body  to  death!  Shut  that  door  quick!  I  ain't 
hankering  for  influenzy.  Who  are  you?  What  do 
you  want?  Why  didn't  you  knock?  Where's  my 
specs?  " 

She  took  a  pair  of  spectacles  from  the  mantel 
shelf,  rubbed  them  with  her  apron,  and  set  them  on 
the  bridge  of  her  thin  nose.  Then  she  inspected  the 
schoolmistress  from  head  to  foot. 

282 


DEBBY    BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

"  I  beg  pardon  for  coming  in,"  shouted  Phoebe. 
"  I  knocked,  but  you  didn't  hear.  You  are  Mrs. 
Beasley,  aren't  you?  " 

"  I  don't  want  none,"  replied  Debby,  with  em 
phasis.  "  So  there's  no  use  your  wastin'  your  breath." 

"  Don't  want — "  repeated  the  astonished  teacher. 
"  Don't  want  what?" 

"  Hey?     I  say  I  don't  want  none." 

"Don't  want  what?" 

"  Whatever  'tis  you're  peddlin'.  Books  or  soap  or 
tea,  or  whatever  'tis.  I  don't  want  nothin'." 

After  some  strenuous  minutes,  the  visitor  managed 
to  make  it  clear  to  Mrs.  Beasley's  mind  that  she  was 
not  a  peddler.  She  tried  to  add  a  word  of  further  ex 
planation,  but  it  was  effort  wasted. 

'Tain't  no  use,"  snapped  Debby,  "  I  can't  hear 
you,  you  speak  so  faint.  Wait  till  I  get  my  horn; 
it's  in  the  settin'  room." 

Phoebe's  wonder  as  to  what  the  "  horn  "  might  be 
was  relieved  by  the  widow's  appearance,  a  moment 
later,  with  the  biggest  ear  trumpet  her  caller  had  ever 
seen. 

'  There,  now !  "  she  said,  adjusting  the  instrument 
and  thrusting  the  bell-shaped  end  under  the  teacher's 
nose.  "  Talk  into  that.  If  you  ain't  a  peddler,  what 
be  you — sewin'  machine  agent?  " 

Phoebe  explained  that  she  had  come  some  dis 
tance  on  purpose  to  see  Mrs.  Beasley.  She  was  in 
terested  in  the  Thayers,  who  used  to  live  in  Orham, 

283 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

particularly  in  Mr.  John  Thayer,  who  died  in  1854. 
She  had  been  told  that  Debby  formerly  lived  with 
the  Thayers,  and  could,  no  doubt,  remember  a  great 
deal  about  them.  Would  she  mind  answering  a  few 
questions,  and  so  on? 

Mrs.  Beasley,  her  hearing  now  within  forty-five 
degrees  of  the  normal,  grew  interested.  She  ushered 
her  visitor  into  the  adjoining  room,  and  proffered  her 
a  chair.  That  sitting  room  was  a  wonder  of  its  kind, 
even  to  the  teacher's  accustomed  eyes.  A  gilt-framed 
crayon  enlargement  of  the  late  Mr.  Beasley  hung 
in  the  center  of  the  broadest  wall  space,  and  was  not 
the  ugliest  thing  in  the  apartment.  Having  said  this, 
further  description  is  unnecessary — particularly  to 
those  who  remember  Mr.  Beasley's  personal  ap 
pearance. 

''What  you  so  interested  in  the  Thayers  for?" 
inquired  Debby.  "  One  of  the  heirs,  be  you?  They 
didn't  leave  nothin'." 

No,  the  schoolmistress  was  not  an  heir.  Was  not 
even  a  relative  of  the  family.  But  she  was — was 
interested,  just  the  same.  A  friend  of  hers  was  a  rela 
tive,  and 

"What  is  your  friend?"  inquired  the  inquisitor. 
"A  man?" 

There  was  no  reason  why  Miss  Dawes  should 
have  changed  color,  but,  according  to  Debby's  sub 
sequent  testimony,  she  did;  she  blushed,  so  the  widow 
declares. 

284 


DERBY    BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

"No,"  she  protested.  "Oh,  no!  it's  a — she's  a 
child,  that's  all — a  little  girl.  But " 

"  Maybe  you're  gettin'  up  one  of  them  geo 
graphical  trees,"  suggested  Mrs.  Beasley.  "  I've 
seen  'em,  fust  settlers  down  in  the  trunk,  and  chil 
dren  and  grandchildren  spreadin'  out  in  the  branches. 
Is  that  it?" 

Here  was  an  avenue  of  escape.  Phoebe  stretched 
the  truth  a  trifle,  and  admitted  that  that,  or  some 
thing  of  the  sort,  was  what  she  was  engaged  in.  The 
explanation  seemed  to  be  satisfactory.  Debby  asked 
her  visitor's  name,  and,  misunderstanding  it,  ad 
dressed  her  as  "  Miss  Dorcas  "  thereafter.  Then  she 
proceeded  to  give  her  reminiscences  of  the  Thayers, 
and  it  did  not  take  long  for  the  disappointed 
teacher  to  discover  that,  for  all  practical  purposes, 
these  reminiscences  were  valueless.  Mrs.  Beasley 
remembered  many  things,  but  nothing  at  all  con 
cerning  John  Thayer's  life  in  the  West,  nor  the 
name  of  the  ship  he  sailed  in,  nor  who  his  ship 
mates  were. 

"  He  never  wrote  home  but  once  or  twice  afore 
he  died,"  she  said.  "  And  when  he  did  Emily,  his 
wife,  never  told  me  what  was  in  his  letters.  She 
always  burnt  'em,  I  guess.  I  used  to  hunt  around 
for  'em  when  she  was  out,  but  she  burnt  'em  to  spite 
me,  I  cal'late.  Her  and  me  didn't  get  along  any  too 
well.  She  said  I  talked  too  much  to  other  folks  about 
what  was  none  of  their  business.  Now,  anybody 

285. 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

that  knows  me  knows  that  ain't  one  of  my  failin's. 
I  told  her  so;  says  I " 

And  so  on  for  ten  minutes.  Then  Phoebe  ven 
tured  to  repeat  the  words  "  out  West,"  and  her  com 
panion  went  off  on  a  new  tack.  She  had  just  been  West 
nerself.  She  had  been  on  a  visit  to  her  husband's 
niece,  who  lived  in  Arizona.  In  Blazeton,  Arizona. 
"  It's  the  nicest  town  ever  you  see,"  she  continued. 
"  And  the  smartest,  most  up-to-date  place.  Talk 
about  the  West  bein'  oncivilized !  My  land !  you 
ought  to  see  that  town!  Electric  lights,  and  tele 
phones,  and — and — I  don't  know  what  all!  Why, 
Miss  What's-your-name — Miss  Dorcas,  marm,  you 
just  ought  to  see  the  photygraphs  I've  got  that  was 
took  out  there.  My  niece,  she  took  'em  with  one  of 
them  little  mites  of  cameras.  You  wouldn't  believe 
such  a  little  box  of  a  thing  could  take  such  photy 
graphs.  I'm  goin'  to  get  'em  and  show  'em  to  you. 
No,  sir!  you  ain't  got  to  go,  neither.  Set  right  still 
and  let  me  fetch  them  photygraphs.  'Twon't  be  a 
mite  of  trouble.  I'd  love  to  do  it." 

Protests  were  unavailing.  The  photographs,  at 
least  fifty  of  them,  were  produced,  and  the  suffering 
caller  was  shown  the  Blazeton  City  Hall,  and  the 
Blazeton  "  Palace  Hotel,"  and  the  home  of  the  Beas- 
ley  niece,  taken  from  the  front,  the  rear,  and  both 
sides.  With  each  specimen  Debby  delivered  a  de 
scriptive  lecture. 

"  You  see  that  house?  "  she  asked.  "  Well,  'tain't 
286 


much  of  a  one  to  look  at,  but  it's  got  the  most  inter- 
estin'  story  tagged  on  to  it.  I  made  Eva,  that's  my 
niece,  take  a  picture  of  it  just  on  that  account.  The 
woman  that  lives  there's  had  the  hardest  time.  Her 
fust  name's  Desire,  and  that  kind  of  made  me  take  an 
interest  in  her  right  off,  'cause  I  had  an  Aunt  Desire 
once,  and  it's  a  name  you  don't  hear  very  often.  Af 
terwards  I  got  to  know  her  real  well.  She  was  a 
widder  woman,  like  me,  only  she  didn't  have  as  much 
sense  as  I've  got,  and  went  and  married  a  second 
time.  'Twas  'long  in  1886  she  done  it.  This  man 
Higgins,  he  went  to  work  for  her  on  her  place,  and 
pretty  soon  he  married  her.  They  lived  together,^ 
principally  on  her  fust  husband's  insurance  money,  I 
cal'late,  until  a  year  or  so  ago.  Then  the  insurance 
money  give  out,  and  Mr.  Higgins  he  says :  '  Old 
woman,'  he  says — I'd  never  let  a  husband  of  mine 
call  me  '  old  woman,'  but  Desire  didn't  seem  to 
mind — '  Old  woman,'  he  says,  '  I'm  goin'  over  to 
Phoenix ' — that's  another  city  in  Arizona — '  to  look 
for  a  job.'  And  he  went,  and  she  ain't  heard  hide — 
I  mean  seen  hide  nor  heard  hair — What  does  ail  me  ? 
,  She  ain't  seen  nor  heard  of  him  since.  And  she  ad- 
j  vertised  in  the  weekly  paper,  and  I  don't  know  what 
all.  She  thinks  he  was  murdered,  you  know;  that's 
what  makes  it  so  sort  of  creepy  and  interestin'. 
Everybody  was  awful  kind  to  her,  and  we  got  to 

be  real  good  friends.    Why,  I " 

This  was  but  the  beginning.     It  was  evident  that 
287 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Mrs.  Beasley  had  thoroughly  enjoyed  herself  in 
Blazeton,  and  that  the  sorrows  of  the  bereaved  De 
sire  Higgins  had  been  one  of  the  principal  sources 
of  that  enjoyment.  The  schoolmistress  endeavored 
to  turn  the  subject,  but  it  was  useless. 

"  I  fetched  home  a  whole  pile  of  them  news 
papers,"  continued  Debby.  '  They  was  awful  inter 
esting  full  of  pictures  of  Blazeton  buildin's  and 
leadin'  folks  and  all.  And  in  some  of  the  back  num 
bers  was  the  advertisement  about  Mr.  Higgins.  I  do 
wish  I  could  show  'em  to  you,  but  I  lent  'em  to  Mrs. 
Atwood  up  to  the  Center.  If  'twan't  such  a  ways  I'd 
go  and  fetch  'em.  Mrs.  Atwood's  been  awful  nice 
to  me.  She  took  care  of  my  trunks  and  things 
when  I  went  West — yes,  and  afore  that  wrhen  I 
went  to  Bayport  to  keep  house  for  that  miser'ble 
Cap'n  Whittaker.  I  ain't  told  you  about  that,  but 
I  will  by  and  by.  Them  trunks  had  lots  of  things 
in  'em  that  I  didn't  want  to  lose  nor  have  anybody 
see.  My  diaries — I've  kept  a  diary  since  1850 — 
and " 

"Diaries?"  interrupted  Phoebe,  grasping  at 
straws.  "  Did  you  keep  a  diary  while  you  were  at 
the  Thayers?" 

"Yes.  Now,  why  didn't  I  think  of  that  afore? 
More'n  likely  there'd  be  somethin'  in  that  to  help 
you  with  that  geographical  tree.  I  used  to  put 
down  everything  that  happened,  and —  Where  you 
goin'?" 

288 


DERBY    BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

Miss  Dawes  had  risen  and  was  peering  out  of  the 
window. 

"  I  was  looking  to  see  if  my  driver  was  anywhere 
about,"  she  replied.     "  I  thought  perhaps  he  would 
i  drive  over  to  Mrs.  Atwood's  and  get  the  diary  for 
you.     But  I  don't  see  him." 

Just  then,  from  around  the  corner  of  the  house, 
peeped  an  agitated  face;  an  agitated  forefinger  beck 
oned.  Debby  stepped  to  the  window  beside  her  vis 
itor,  and  the  face  and  finger  went  out  of  sight  as  if 
pulled  by  a  string. 

Miss  Phoebe  smiled. 

"  I  think  I'll  go  out  and  look  for  him,"  she  said. 
"  He  must  be  near  here.  I'll  be  right  back,  Mrs. 
Beasley." 

Without  stopping  to  put  on  her  jacket,  she  hurried 
through  the  dining  room,  out  of  the  door,  and  around 
the  corner.  There  she  found  Mr.  Bangs  in  a  highly 
nervous  state. 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  'twas  Debby  Beasley 
you  was  comin'  to  see?  "  he  demanded.     "  If  you'd 
mentioned  that  deef  image's  name  you'd  never  got 
\  me  to  drive  you,  I  tell  you  that !  " 

'  Yes,"  answered  the  teacher  sweetly.  "  I  im 
agined  that.  That's  why  I  didn't  tell  you,  Mr. 
Bangs.  Now  I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favor.  Will 
you  drive  over  to  Trumet  Center,  and  deliver  a 
note  and  get  a  package  for  me  ?  Then  you  can  come 
back  here,  and  I  shall  be  ready  to  start  for  home." 

289 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

"Drive!  Drive  nothin' !  The  blacksmith's  out, 
and  won't  be  back  for  another  hour.  His  boy's 
there,  but  he's  a  big  enough  lunkhead  to  try  bailin' 
out  a  dory  with  a  fork,  and  that  buggy  axle  is  bent 
so  it's  simply  got  to  be  fixed.  I'd  no  more  go  home 
to  Ketury  with  that  buggy  as  'tis  than  I'd —  Oh! 
my  land  of  love  !  " 

The  ejaculation  was  almost  a  groan.  There  at  the 
corner,  ear  trumpet  adjusted,  and  spectacles  glisten 
ing,  stood  Debby  Beasley.  Bailey  appeared  to  wilt 
under  her  gaze  as  if  the  spectacles  were  twin  suns. 
Miss  Dawes  looked  as  if  she  very  much  wanted  to 
laugh.  The  widow  stared  in  silence. 

"How — how  d'ye  do,  Mrs.  Beasley?"  faltered 
Mr.  Bangs,  not  forgetting  to  raise  his  voice.  "  I 
hope  you're  lookin'  as  well  as  you  feel.  I  mean,  I 
hope  you're  smart." 

Mrs.  Beasley  nodded  decisively. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered.  "  I'm  pretty  toler'ble, 
thank  you.  What  was  the  matter,  Mr.  Bangs?  Why 
didn't  you  come  in?  Do  you  usually  make  your 
calls  round  the  corner?" 

The  gentleman  addressed  seemed  unable  to  reply. 
The  schoolmistress  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  You  mustn't  blame  Mr.  Bangs,  Mrs.  Beasley," 
she  explained.  "  He  wrasn't  responsible  for  what  hap 
pened  at  Captain  Whittaker's.  He  is  the  gentle 
man  who  drove  me  over  here.  I  was  going  to  send 
him  to  Mrs.  Atwood's  for  the  diary." 

290 


DERBY    BEASLEY   TO   THE    RESCUE 

"Who  said  I  was  blamin'  him?"  queried  the 
widow.  "  If  'twas  that  little  Tidditt  thing  I  might 
feel  different.  But,  considerin'  that  I  got  this  horn 
from  Mr.  Bangs,  I'm  willin'  to  let  bygones  be  past. 
It  helps  my  hearin'  a  lot.  Them  ear-fixin's  was  good 
while  they  lasted,  but  they  got  out  of  kilter  quick.  / 
shan't  bother  Mr.  Bangs.  If  he  can  square  his  own 
conscience,  I'm  satisfied." 

Bailey's  conscience  was  not  troubling  him  greatly, 
and  he  seemed  relieved.  Phoebe  told  of  the  damaged 
buggy. 

"  Humph  I  "  grunted  the  widow.  "  The  horse 
didn't  get  bent,  too,  did  he?  " 

Mr.  Bangs  indignantly  declared  that  the  horse  was 
all  right. 

"  Um — hum.  Well,  then,  I  guess  I  can  supply  a  car 
riage.  My  fust  cousin  Ezra  that  died  used  to  be  doctor 
here,  and  he  give  me  his  sulky  when  he  got  a  new  one. 
It's  out  in  the  barn.  Go  fetch  your  horse,  and  harness 
him  in.  I'll  be  ready  time  the  harnessin's  done." 

"  You  ?  "  gasped  the  teacher.  "  You  don't  need  to 
go,  Mrs.  Beasley.  I  wouldn't  think  of  giving  you 
that  trouble." 

"  No  trouble  at  all.  I  wouldn't  trust  nobody  else 
with  them  trunks.  And  besides,  I  always  do  enjoy 
ridin'.  You  could  go,  too,  Miss  Dorcas,  but  the 
sulky  seat's  too  narrer  for  three.  You  can  set  in  the 
settin'  room  till  we  get  back.  'Twon't  take  us  long. 
Don't  say  another  word;  I'm  a-goin'." 
21  291 


CHAPTER    XVI 

A   REMARKABLE   DRIVE   AND   WHAT   FOLLOWED 

tHE  number  of  reasons  given  by  Mr.  Bangs 
one  after  the  other,  to  prove  that  it  would 
be  quite  impossible  for  him  to  be  Mrs. 
Beasley's  charioteer  was  a  credit  to  the  resources  of 
his  invention.  The  blacksmith  might  be  back  any 
minute;  it  was  dinner  time,  and  he  was  hungry; 
Henry,  the  horse,  was  tired;  it  wasn't  a  nice  day  for 
riding,  and  he  would  come  over  some  other  time  and 
take  the  widow  out;  he —  But  Debby  had  a  conclu 
sive  answer  for  each  protest. 

'  You  said  yourself  the  blacksmith  wouldn't  be 
back  for  an  hour,"  she  observed.  "  And  you  can 
leave  word  with  the  boy  what  he's  to  do  when  he 
does  come.  As  for  dinner,  I'll  be  real  glad  to  give 
you  and  Miss  Dorcas  a  snack  soon's  we  get  back.  I 
don't  mind  if  it  ain't  a  pleasant  day;  a  little  fresh 
air  '11  do  me  good.  I  been  shut  up  here  houseclean- 
in'  ever  since  I  got  back  from  out  West.  Now,  hurry 
right  along,  and  fetch  your  horse.  I'll  unlock  the 
barn." 

"  But,  Mrs.  Beasley,"  put  in  the  schoolmistress; 
292 


A    DRIVE    AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

"  why  couldn't  you  give  us  a  note  to  Mrs.  Atwood 
and  let  us  stop  for  the  diary  on  our  way  home?  I 
could  return  it  to  you  by  mail.  Or  you  might  get 
it  yourself  some  other  day  and  mail  it  to  me." 

"  No,  no !  Never  put  off  till  to-morrer  what  you 
can  do  to-day.  My  husband  was  a  great  hand  to  put 
off  and  put  off.  For  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life  I 
was  at  him  to  buy  a  new  go-to-meetin'  suit  of  clothes. 
The  one  he  had  was  blue  to  start  with,  but  it  faded  to 
a  brown,  and,  toward  the  last  of  it,  I  declare  if  it 
didn't  commence  to  turn  green.  Nothin'  I  could  say 
would  make  him  heave  it  away  even  then.  Seemed 
to  think  more  of  it  than  ever.  Said  he  wanted  to 
hang  to  it  a  spell  and  see  what  'twould  turn  next.  But 
he  died  and  was  laid  out  in  that  same  suit,  and  I 
was  so  mortified  at  the  funeral  I  couldn't  think  of 
nothin'  else.  No,  I'll  go  after  them  papers  and  the 
diary  while  they're  fresh  in  my  mind.  And  besides, 
do  you  s'pose  I'd  let  Sarah  Ann  Atwood  rummage 
through  my  trunks?  I  guess  not!  " 

Phoebe  began  to  be  sorry  she  had  thought  of  send 
ing  for  the  diary,  particularly  as  the  chance  of  its 
containing  valuable  information  was  so  remote.  Mrs. 
Beasley  went  into  the  house  to  dress  for  the  ride. 
The  schoolmistress  went  with  her  as  far  as  the  sit 
ting  room.  The  perturbed  Bailey  stalked  off,  mut 
tering,  to  the  blacksmith's. 

In  a  little  while  he  returned,  leading  Henry  by  the 
bridle.  Debby,  adorned  with  the  befiowered  bonnet 

293 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

she  had  worn  when  she  arrived  at  the  Cy  Whittaker 
place,  and  with  a  black  cloth  cape  over  her  lean 
shoulders,  was  waiting  for  him  by  the  open  door  of 
the  barn.  The  cape  had  a  fur  collar — "  cat  fur," 
so  Mr.  Bangs  said  afterwards  in  describing  it. 

"  Pull  the  sulky  right  out,"  commanded  the  widow. 

Bailey  stared  into  the  black  interior  of  the  barn. 

"Which  is  it?"  he  shouted. 

Mrs.  Beasley  pointed  with  her  ear  trumpet. 

"  Why,  that  one  there,  of  course.  'Tother's  a 
truck  cart.  You  wouldn't  expect  me  to  ride  in  that, 
would  you?  " 

Mr.  Bangs  entered  the  barn,  seized  the  vehicle  in 
dicated  by  the  shafts,  and  drew  it  out  into  the  yard. 
He  inspected  it  deliberately,  and  then  sat  weakly 
down  on  the  chopping  block  near  by.  Apparently  he 
was  overcome  by  emotion. 

The  "  sulky  "  bequeathed  by  the  late  doctor  had 
been  built  to  order  for  its  former  owner.  It  was  of 
the  "  carryall "  variety,  except  that  it  had  but  a 
single  narrow  seat.  Its  top  was  square  and  was  cur 
tained,  the  curtains  being  tightly  buttoned  down. 
Altogether  it  was  something  of  a  curiosity.  Miss 
Dawes,  who  had  come  out  to  see  the  start,  looked 
at  the  "  sulky,"  then  at  Mr.  Bangs's  face,  and  turned 
her  back.  Her  shoulders  shook: 

"  It  used  to  be  a  real  nice  carriage  when  Ezra  had 
it,"  commented  the  widow  admiringly.  "  It  needs 
ilin'  and  sprucin'  up  now,  but  I  guess  'twill  do. 

294 


Come !  "  to  Bailey,  who  had  not  risen  from  the  chop 
ping  block.  "  Hurry  up  and  harness  or  we'll  never 
get  started.  Thought  you  wanted  to  get  back  for 
dinner?  " 

Mr.  Bangs  stood  up  and  heaved  a  sigh. 

"  I  did,"  he  answered  slowly,  "  but,"  with  a  glance 
at  the  sulky,  "  somethin'  seems  to  have  took  away 
my  appetite.  Teacher,  do  you  mean  to " 

But  Miss  Dawes  had  withdrawn  to  the  corner  of 
the  house,  from  which  viewpoint  she  seemed  to  be 
inspecting  the  surrounding  landscape.  Bailey  seized 
Henry  by  the  bridle  and  backed  him  into  the  shafts. 

"  Back  up !  "  he  roared.  "  Back  up,  I  tell  you ! 
You  needn't  look  at  me  that  way,"  he  added,  in  a 
lower  tone.  "  7  can't  help  it.  You  ain't  any  worse 
ashamed  than  I  am.  There !  the  ark's  off  the  ways. 
All  aboard!" 

Turning  to  the  expectant  widow,  he  "  boosted  " 
her,  not  too  tenderly,  up  to  the  narrow  seat.  Then 
he  climbed  in  himself.  Two  on  that  seat  made  a 
tight  fit.  Bailey  took  up  the  reins.  Debby  leaned 
forward  and  peered  around  the  edge  of  the  curtains. 

"  You  !  "  she  shouted.  "  You,  Miss  What's-your- 
name — Dorcas!  Come  here  a  minute.  I  want  to 
tell  you  somethin'." 

The  schoolmistress,  her  face  red  and  her  eyes 
moist,  approached. 

"  I  just  wanted  to  say,"  explained  Debby,  "  that 
I  ain't  real  sure  as  that  diary's  there.  I  burnt  up  a 

295 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

lot  of  my  old  letters  and  things  a  spell  ago,  and  seems 
to  me  I  burnt  some  old  diaries,  too,  but  maybe  that 
wan't  one  of  'em.  Anyhow,  I  can  get  them  Arizona 
papers,  and  I  do  want  you  to  see  'em.  They're  the 
most  interestin'  things.  Now,"  she  added,  turning 
to  her  companion  on  the  seat,  "  you  can  git  dap  just 
as  soon  as  you  want  to." 

Whether  or  not  Mr.  Bangs  wanted  to  "  git  dap  " 
is  a  doubtful  question.  But  at  all  events  he  did.  Be 
fore  the  astonished  Miss  Dawes  could  think  of  an 
answer  to  the  observation  concerning  the  diary,  the 
carriage,  its  long  unused  axles  shrieking  protests, 
moved  out  of  the  yard.  The  schoolmistress  watched 
it  go.  Then  she  returned  to  the  sitting  room  and 
collapsed  in  a  rocking  chair. 

Once  out  from  the  shelter  of  the  house  and  on  the 
open  road,  the  sulky  received  the  full  force  of  the 
wind.  The  first  gust  that  howled  in  from  the  bay 
struck  its  curtained  side  with  a  sudden  burst  of  power 
that  caused  Mrs.  Beasley  to  clutch  her  driver's  arm. 

"  Good  land  of  mercy! '  she  screamed.  "  It  blows 
real  hard,  don't  it?" 

Mr.  Bangs's  answer  was  in  the  form  of  delicate 
sarcasm,  bellowed  into  the  ear  trumpet. 

"  Sho !  "  he  exclaimed.  "I  want  to  know! 
You  don't  say!  Now  you  mention  it,  seems  as  if 
I  had  noticed  a  little  air  stirrin'." 

Another  gust  tilted  the  carriage  top.  Debby 
clutched  the  arm  still  tighter. 

296 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

"Why,  it  blows  awful  hard!"  she  cried.  "I'd 
no  idee  it  blew  like  this." 

'Want  to  'bout  ship  and  go  home  again?" 
whooped  Bailey,  hopefully.  But  the  widow  didn't 
intend  to  give  up  the  rare  luxury  of  a  "  ride  "  which 
a  kind  Providence  had  cast  in  her  way. 

"  No,  no!  "  she  answered.  "  I  guess  if  you  folks 
come  all  the  way  from  Bayport  I  can  stand  it  as  fur's 
the  Center.  But  hurry  all  you  can,  won't  you  ?  I'm 
kind  of  'fraid  of  the  springs." 

"  Springs?  What  springs?  Let  go  my  arm,  will 
you?  It's  goin'  to  sleep." 

Mrs.  Beasley  let  go  of  the  arm  momentarily. 

"  I  mean  the  springs  on  this  carriage,"  she  ex 
plained.  "  Last  time  I  lent  it  to  anybody — Solon 
Davis,  'twas — he  said  the  bolts  underneath  was  pretty 
nigh  rusted  out,  and  about  all  that  held  the  wagon 
part  on  was  its  own  weight.  So  we'll  have  to  be 
kind  of  careful." 

'  Well — I — swan — to — man  \  "  was  Mr.  Bangs's 
sole  comment  on  the  amazing  disclosure;  however, 
as  an  expression  of  concentrated  and  profound  dis 
gust  it  was  quite  sufficient.  He  spoke  but  once  dur 
ing  the  remainder  of  the  trip  to  the  "  Center."  Then, 
when  his  passenger  begged  to  know  if  "  that  Whit- 
taker  man  "  had  been  well  since  she  left,  he  shouted : 
'  Yes — ever  since,"  and  relapsed  into  his  former 
gloomy  silence. 

The  widow's  stop  at  the  Atwood  house,  which  was 

297 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

in  the  immediate  rear  of  the  Atwood  store,  was  of  a 
half  hour's  duration.  Bailey  refused  to  leave  the 
seat  of  the  sulky  and  sat  there,  speaking  to  no 
one;  not  even  replying  to  the  questions  of  a  group 
of  loungers  who  gathered  to  inspect  the  ancient 
vehicle,  and  professed  to  be  in  doubt  as  to  whether 
it  had  been  washed  in  with  the  tide  or  been  "  left " 
to  him  in  a  will. 

At  last  Debby  made  her  appearance,  her  arms 
filled  with  newspapers.  The  latter  she  piled  under 
the  carriage  seat,  and  then  climbed  to  her  former 
place  beside  the  driver.  Henry,  in  response  to  a  slap 
from  the  reins,  got  under  way  once  more.  The 
axles  squeaked  and  screamed. 

"  Gee !  "  cried  one  youngster,  from  the  steps  of 
the  store.  "  It's  the  steam  calliope.  When's  the  rest 
of  the  show  comin'  ?  " 

"  Hi !  "  yelled  another.  "  See  how  close  they're 
hugged  up  together.  Ain't  they  lovin' !  It's  a  wed- 
din' !  " 

"  Shut  up !  "  roared  the  tortured  Bailey,  whose  hat 
had  blown  back  into  the  body  of  the  sulky,  leaving 
his  bald  head  exposed  to  the  cutting  wind. 

The  audience  begged  him  to  give  them  a  lock  of 
his  hair,  and  added  other  remarks  of  a  personal 
nature  concerning  the  youth  and  beauty  of  the  bridal 
couple  and  their  chariot.  Mr.  Bangs  was  in  a  state  of 
dumb  frenzy.  Debby,  who,  without  her  trumpet,  had 
heard  nothing  of  all  this,  was  smiling  and  garrulous. 

298 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

"  I  found  all  the  papers,"  she  said.  "  They're 
right  under  the  seat.  I'm  goin'  to  look  'em  over  so's 
to  have  the  interestin'  parts  all  ready  to  show  Miss 
Dorcas  when  we  get  home.  Ain't  it  nice  I  found 
'em?" 

In  spite  of  her  driver's  remonstrances,  unheard 
because  of  the  nonadjustment  of  the  trumpet,  she 
reached  under  the  seat  and  brought  out  the  pile  of 
Blazeton  weeklies.  With  her  feet  upon  the  pile  to 
keep  it  from  blowing  away,  she  proceeded  to  unfold 
one  of  the  papers.  It  crackled  and  snapped  in  the 
wind  like  a  loose  mainsail. 

"  Keep  that  dratted  thing  out  of  my  face,  won't 
you?"  shrieked  the  agonized  Bailey.  "  How'm  I 
goin'  to  see  to  steer  with  that  smackin'  me  between 
the  eyes  every  other  second?" 

"  Hey?  Did  you  speak  to  me?  "  asked  the  widow 
sweetly. 

"Did  I  speak!  No,  I  screeched!  What  in 
tunket " 

u  I  want  you  to  see  this  picture  of  the  mayor's 
house  in  Blazeton.  Eva,  my  husband's  niece,  lives 
right  acrost  the  road  from  him.  Many's  the  time 
I've  set  on  their  piazza  and  seen  him  come  out  and 
go  to  the  City  Hall." 

"Keep  it  out  of  my  face,  I  tell  you!  Reef  it! 
Furl  it,  you — you  woman!  I  wish  to  thunder  the 
piazza  had  caved  in  on  you !  I  never  see  such  an 
old  fool  in  my  born  days.  Take  It  avuay!  " 

299 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Mrs.  Beasley  removed  the  paper,  but  only  to  sub 
stitute  another. 

"  Here's  Eva's  brother-in-law,"  she  screamed. 
"  He's  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  out 
there,  so  they  put  him  in  the  paper.  Ain't  he  nice- 
lookin'?" 

Bailey's  comments  on  the  prominent  business  man's 
appearance  were  anything  but  flattering.  Debby  con 
tinued  to  reach  for  more  papers,  carefully  replacing 
those  she  had  inspected  in  the  pile  beneath  her  feet. 
The  wind  blew  as  hard  as  ever;  even  harder, 
for  it  was  now  almost  dead  ahead.  Henry  plodded 
along.  They  were  in  the  hollow  at  the  foot  of  the 
last  long  hill,  that  from  which  the  blacksmith  shop 
had  first  been  sighted. 

"  I  know  what  I'll  do,"  declared  the  passenger. 
"  I'll  hunt  for  that  missin'  husband  advertisement  of 
Desire  Higgins's.  Let's  see  now !  'Twill  be  down 
at  the  bottom  of  the  pile,  'cause  the  paper  it's  in 
is  a  last  year  one." 

She  bobbed  down  behind  the  high  dashboard.  Mr. 
Bangs  stood  up  in  order  that  her  gymnastics  might 
interfere,  to  a  lesser  degree,  with  his  driving.  The 
equipage  began  to  move  up  the  slope  of  the  hill, 
bouncing  and  twisting  in  the  frozen  ruts. 

"Here  'tis!"  exclaimed  Debby.  "I  remember 
it's  in  this  number,  'cause  there's  a  picture  of  the 
Palace  Hotel  on  the  front  page.  Let's  see — '  Dog 
lost ' — no,  that  ain't  it.  '  Corner  lot  for  sale  ' — wish 

300 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

I  had  money  enough  to  buy  it;  I'd  like  nothin'  better 
than  to  live  out  there.  '  Information  wanted  of  my 
husband  ' — Here  'tis !  Um — hum !  " 

She  straightened  up  and  eagerly  began  reading  the 
advertisement.  The  hill  was  very  steep  just  at  its 
top,  and  the  sulky  slanted  backward  at  a  sharp  angle. 
A  terrific  burst  of  wind  tore  around  the  corner  of 
the  bluff.  It  eddied  through  the  sulky  between  the 
dashboard  and  the  curtained  sides.  The  widow,  in 
her  excitement  at  finding  the  advertisement,  had  in 
advertently  removed  her  feet  from  the  pile  of  papers. 
In  an  instant  the  air  was  filled  with  whirling  copies 
of  the  Blazeton  Weekly  Courier. 

Henry,  the  horse,  was  a  sober  animal  who  had  long 
ago  reached  the  age  of  discretion.  But  to  have  his 
old  ears  and  eyes  suddenly  blanketed  with  a  flapping 
white  thing  swooping  apparently  from  nowhere  was 
too  much  even  for  his  sedate  nerves.  He  jumped 
sidewise.  The  reins  were  jerked  from  the  driver's 
hands  and  fell  in  the  road. 

"  Mercy  on  us !  "  shrieked  Debby,  clutching  her 
companion  about  the  waist.  "  What " 

"  Let  go  of  me !  "  howled  Bailey,  pushing  her  vio 
lently  aside.  "  Whoa  !  Stand  still !  " 

But  Henry  refused  to  stand  still.  The  flapping 
paper  still  clung  to  his  agitated  head.  He  reared 
and  pranced,  jerking  the  sulky  back  and  forth,  its 
wheels  still  wedged  in  the  ruts.  Bailey  sprang  to 
the  ground  to  pick  up  the  reins.  He  seized  them, 

301 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

but  fell  as  he  did  so.  The  tug  at  his  bits  turned 
Henry's  head,  literally  and  figuratively.  He  reared 
and  whirled  about.  The  sulky  rose  on  two  wheels. 
The  screaming  Mrs.  Beasley  collapsed  against  its 
downward  side.  Another  moment,  and  the  whole 
upper  half  of  the  sulky — body,  seat,  curtains,  and 
Debby — tilted  over  the  lower  wheels,  and,  the  rusted 
bolts  failing  to  hold,  slid  with  a  thump  to  the  frozen 
road.  The  wind,  catching  it  underneath  as  it  slid, 
tipped  it  backward.  Then  Henry  ran  away. 

Miss  Dawes,  left  alone  in  the  house  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  had  amused  herself  for  a  time  with  the 
Beasley  library,  which  partially  filled  a  shelf  in  the 
sitting  room.  But  "  The  Book  of  Martyrs  "  and  "  A 
Believer's  Thoughts  on  Death  "  were  not  cheering  lit 
erature,  particularly  as  the  author  of  the  latter  volume 
"  thought  "  so  dismally  concerning  the  future  of  all 
who  did  not  believe  precisely  as  he  did.  So  the 
teacher  laid  down  the  book,  with  a  shudder,  and 
wandered  about  the  room,  inspecting  the  late  Mr. 
Beasley's  portrait,  the  photographs  in  splintwork 
frames,  the  "  alum  basket "  on  the  mantel,  the  blue 
castles,  blue  trees,  and  blue  people  pictured  on  the 
window  shades,  and  other  works  of  art  in  the  apart 
ment.  She  even  peeped  into  the  parlor,  but  the 
musty,  shut-up  smell  of  that  dusky  tomb  was  too 
much  for  her,  and  she  sat  down  by  the  sitting-room 
window,  under  the  empty  bird  cage,  to  look  up  the 

302 


"  Sprawled  across  the  rear  axle  and  still  clinging  to  the  reins, 
hung  an  individual  by  the  name  of  Bangs." 


road  and  watch  for  the  return  of  the  sulky  and  its 
occupants. 

sitting  there,  she  was  a  witness  of  the  alarming 
catistrophe  on  the  hilltop,  and  reached  the  front  gate 
jus:  in  time  to  see  Henry  go  galloping  by,  dragging 
the  four  wheels  and  springs  of  the  sulky,  while, 
spiawled  across  the  rear  axle  and  still  clinging  to  the 
rehs,  hung  a  familiar,  howling,  and  most  wickedly 
profane  individual  by  the  name  of  Bangs. 

The  runaway  dashed  on  toward  the  blacksmith 
shop.  Phoebe,  bareheaded  and  coatless,  ran  up  the 
hill.  Before  she  reached  the  crest,  she  was  aware 
of  muffled  screams,  which  sounded  as  if  the  screamer 
was  shut  up  in  a  trunk. 

"O-o-oh!"  screamed  Mrs.  Beasley.  "O-o-oh! 
Ow !  Let  me  out !  Help !  I'm  stuck !  My  back's 
broke!  He-e-lp!" 

The  upper  part  of  the  sulky,  with  its  boxlike  cur 
tained  top,  lay  on  its  side  in  the  road.  From  some 
where  within  the  box  came  the  groans  and  screams. 
The  gale  swept  the  hilltop,  and,  for  a  quarter  mile 
to  leeward,  the  scenery  was  animated  by  soaring,  flut 
tering  copies  of  the  Blazeton  Courier,  that  swooped 
and  ducked  like  mammoth  white  butterflies. 

The  panting  and  alarmed  teacher  stooped  and 
peered  into  the  dark  shadow  between  the  dashboard 
and  the  back  curtain.  All  she  could  make  out  at 
first  were  a  pair  of  thin  ankles  and  "  Congress " 
shoes  in  agitated  motion.  These  bobbed  up  and 

303 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

down  behind  the  overturned  seat  and  its  displaed 
cushion. 

"  O  Mrs.  Beasley !  "  screamed  Phoebe.  "  Are  you 
hurt?" 

Debby,  of  course,  did  not  hear  the  question.  She 
continued  to  groan  and  scream  for  help.  Her  lungs 
were  not  injured,  at  all  events.  The  schoolmistress, 
dropping  on  her  knees,  reached  into  the  sulky  top  aid 
tugged  at  the  seat.  It  was  rather  tightly  wedged, 
but  she  managed  to  loosen  it  and  pull  it  toward  her. 

The  widow  raised  herself  on  an  elbow  and  looked 
out  between  the  flowers  of  her  smashed  bonnet. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  she  demanded.  "  Oh,  is  that  you, 
Miss  Dorcas?  Oh,  my  soul  and  body  !  Oh,  my  stars ! 
Oh,  my  goodness  me !  " 

"  Are  you  hurt?  "  shrieked  Phoebe. 

"  Hey?  I  don't  know!  I  don't  know  what  I  be! 
I  don't  know  nothin' !  " 

"  Can  you  help  yourself?     Can  you  get  up?  " 

"  Hey?  I  don't  know.  Maybe  I  can  if  you  haul 
that  everlastin'  seat  out  of  the  way.  Oh,  my  sakes 
alive !  " 

Her  rescuer  pulled  the  seat  forward,  and,  with  an 
effort,  tumbled  it  clear  of  the  curtains.  Debby  raised 
herself  still  higher. 

"  Oh  !  "  she  groaned.  "  Talk  about-  Land 
sakes!  who's  comin'?  Men,  ain't  it?  Let  me  out 
of  here  quick !  quick  \  " 

She  scrambled  out  of  her  prison  on  hands  and 
3°4 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

knees,  and  jumped  to  her  feet  with  reassuring  alac 
rity.  Her  fur-collared  cape  was  draped  in  a  roll 
about  her  neck,  and  her  bonnet  hung  jauntily  over  her 
left  eye. 

"I'm  a  sight,  ain't  I?"  she  asked.  "Haul  this 
bunnet  straight,  quick's  ever  you  can.  Hurt?  No, 
no !  I  ain't  hurt  none  but  my  feelin's.  Hurry  up  \ 
S'pose  I  want  them  men  folks  to  see  me  with  every 
thing  all  hind  side  to?  " 

Miss  Dawes,  relieved  to  find  that  the  accident  had 
had  no  serious  consequences,  and  trying  her  hardest 
not  to  laugh,  assisted  the  widow  to  rearrange  her 
wearing  apparel.  The  blacksmith  and  his  helper 
came  running  up  the  hill. 

"Hello,  Debby!"  hailed  the  former.  "What's 
the  matter?  Hurt,  be  you?  " 

Mrs.  Beasley,  whether  she  heard  or  not,  did  not 
deign  to  reply. 

"  Get  my  horn  out  of  that  carriage,"  she  ordered. 
"  Don't  stand  there  gapin'.  Get  it." 

The  ear  trumpet  was  resurrected  from  the  in 
terior  of  the  vehicle.  The  widow  adjusted  it  with 
dignity. 

"Had  a  spill,  didn't  you,  Debby?"  inquired  the 
blacksmith.  "  Upset,  didn't  you  ?" 

Debby  glared  at  him. 

"  No,"  she  replied  with  sarcasm.  "  Course  I 
didn't  upset!  Just  thought  I'd  roll  round  in  the 
road  for  the  fun  of  it.  Smart  question,  that  is  I 
22  305 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Where's  that  Bailey  Bangs  gone  to  with  the  rest  of 
my  carriage?  " 

The  blacksmith  pointed  to  his  shop  in  the  hollow. 
Before  it  stood  Mr.  Bangs,  holding  Henry  by  the 
bridle,  and  staring  in  their  direction. 

"He's  all  right,"  volunteered  the  "helper." 
'  The  horse  stopped  runnin'  soon's  he  got  to  the  foot 
of  the  next  hill." 

Mrs.  Beasley  was  not,  apparently,  overjoyed  at 
the  news. 

"Humph!"  she  grunted.  "I  'most  wish  he'd 
broke  his  neck!  Pesky,  careless  thing!  gettin'  us 
run  away  with  and  upset.  Who's  goin'  to  pay  for 
fixin'  my  sulky,  I  want  to  know?" 

"  Mr.  Bangs  will  pay  for  it,  I'm  sure,"  said 
Phoebe  soothingly.  "  If  he  doesn't,  I  will.  Oh, 
Mrs.  Beasley !  did  you  find  the  diary?" 

"  Diary?  No,  no!  I  told  you  I  was  afraid  I'd 
burnt  it  up.  Well,  I  had,  and  a  whole  lot  more  of 
them  old  ones.  But  I  did  get  all  them  Arizona 
papers,  and  took  the  trouble  to  tote  'em  all  the  way 
here  so's  you  could  look  at  'em.  And  now  "  — she 
shook  with,  indignation  and  waved  her  hand  toward  a 
section  of  horizon  where  little  white  dots  indicated 
the  whereabouts  of  the  Couriers — "  now  look  where 
they  be !  Blowed  from  Dan  to  Beersheby !  Come 
on  to  the  house  and  let  me  set  down.  I  been  standin' 
on  my  head  till  I'm  tired.  Here,  Jabez,"  to  the 
blacksmith,  "  you  tend  to  that  carriage,  will  you  ?  " 

306 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

She  stalked  off  down  the  hill.  The  schoolmistress 
turning  to  follow  her,  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  "  help 
er  "  doubled  up  with  silent  laughter,  and  the  black 
smith  grinning  broadly  as  he  stooped  toward  the 
capsized  sulky. 

Phoebe  was  downcast  and  disappointed.  She  was 
convinced,  in  her  own  mind,  that  the  Honorable 
Atkins  had  some  hidden  motive  for  his  espousal  of 
the  Thomas  cause.  Asaph's  fruitless  quest  in  Orham 
had  not  shaken  her  faith.  Captain  Cy  had  refused 
to  seek  Debby  Beasley  for  information  concerning 
the  Thayers,  and  so  she,  on  her  own  responsibility, 
had  done  so.  And  this  was  the  ridiculous  ending  of 
her  journey.  The  diary  had  been  a  forlorn  hope; 
now  that  was  burned.  Poor  Bos'n !  and  poor — some 
one  else ! 

Debby  marching  down  the  hill,  continued  to  sput 
ter  about  the  lost  weeklies. 

"  It's  an  everlastin'  shame !  "  she  declared.  "  I'd 
just  found  the  one  with  that  advertisement  in  it  and 
was  readin'  it.  I  remember  the  part  I  read,  plain  as 
could  be.  While  we're  eatin'  dinner  I'll  tell  you 
about  it." 

But  Miss  Dawes  did  not  care  for  dinner.  Like 
Mr.  Tidditt  and  the  captain,  she  had  had  about  all 
the  Debby  Beasley  she  wanted. 

'  Yes,  yes,  you  will  stop,  too,"  affirmed  the  widow. 
"  I  want  to  tell  you  more  about  Blazeton.  I  can 
see  that  advertisement  this  minute,  right  afore  my 

307 


eyes — '  Information  wanted  of  my  husband,  Ed 
ward  Higgins.  Five  foot  eight  inches  tall,  sandy 
complected,  brown  hair,  and  yellowish  mustache;  not 
lame,  but  has  a  peculiar  slight  limp  with  his  left 
foot '  " 

"What?"  asked  the  schoolmistress,  stopping 
short. 

"  Hey?  '  Has  a  peculiar  limp  with  his  left  foot.' 
I  remember  how  Desire  used  to  talk  about  that  limp. 
She  said  'twas  almost  as  if  he  stuttered  with  his  leg. 
He  hurt  it  when  he  was  up  in  Montana,  and 

"Oh!"  cried  Miss  Dawes.  The  color  had  left 
her  face. 

'  Yes.  You  see  he  used  to  be  a  miner  or  somethin' 
up  there.  He'd  never  say  much  about  his  younger 
days,  but  one  time  he  did  tell  that.  I'd  just  got  as 
far  as  that  limp  when  the  sulky  upset.  Talk  about 
bein'  surprised !  I  never  was  so  surprised  in  my  life 
as  when  that  horse  critter  rared  up  and " 

Phoebe  interrupted.  Her  color  had  come  back, 
and  her  eyes  were  shining. 

"  Mrs.  Beasley,"  she  cried,  "  I  think  I  shall 
change  my  mind.  I  believe  I  will  stay  to  dinner 
after  all.  I'm  ever  so  much  interested  in  Arizona." 

Bailey  and  the  teacher  began  their  long  drive  home 
about  four  o'clock.  The  buggy  axle  had  been  fixed, 
and  the  wind  was  less  violent.  Mr.  Bangs  was  glum 
and  moody.  He  seemed  to  be  thinking. 

308 


A    DRIVE   AND    WHAT    FOLLOWED 

"  Say,  teacher,"  he  said  at  length,  "  I'd  like  to  ask 
a  favor  of  you.  If  it  ain't  necessary,  I  wish  you 
wouldn't  say  nothin'  about  that  upsettin'  business 
to  the  folks  to  home.  It  does  sound  so  dum  fool 
ish  !  I'll  never  hear  the  last  of  it." 

Miss  Dawes,  who  had  been  in  high  spirits,  now 
took  a  moment  for  reflection. 

"  All  right!  "  she  said,  nodding  vigorously.  "  We 
won't  mention  it,  then.  We  won't  tell  a  soul.  You 
can  say  that  I  called  at  the  Atwoods',  if  you  want  to; 
that  will  be  true,  because  I  did.  And  we'll  have  Mrs. 
Beasley  for  our  secret — yours  and  mine — until  we 
decide  to  tell.  It's  a  bargain,  Mr.  Bangs.  We  must 
shake  hands  on  it." 

They  shook  hands,  and  Bailey,  looking  in  her  face, 
thought  he  never  saw  her  look  so  well  or  as  young. 
She  was  pretty,  he  decided.  Then  he  thought  of  his 
own  choice  of  a  wife,  and — well,  if  he  had  any 
regrets,  he  hasn't  mentioned  them,  not  even  to  his 
fellow-member  of  the  Board  of  Strategy. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

THE    CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS    HIS   AGE 

DECEMBER  was  nearly  over.  Christmas 
had  come.  Bos'n  had  hung  up  her  stock 
ing  by  the  base-burner  stove,  and  found  it 
warty  and  dropsical  the  next  morning,  with  a  gener 
ous  overflow  of  gifts  piled  on  the  floor  beneath  it. 
The  Board  of  Strategy  sent  presents;  so  did  Miss 
Dawes  and  Georgianna.  As  for  Captain  Cy  he  spent 
many  evening  hours,  after  the  rest  of  his  household 
was  in  bed,  poring  over  catalogues  of  toys  and  books, 
and  the  orders  he  sent  to  the  big  shops  in  Boston  were 
lengthy  and  costly.  The  little  girl's  eyes  opened 
wide  when  she  saw  the  stocking  and  the  treasures 
heaped  on  the  floor.  She  sat  in  her  "  nighty  "  amidst 
the  wonders,  books,  and  playthings  in  a  circle  about 
her,  and  the  biggest  doll  of  all  hugged  close  in  her 
arms.  Captain  Cy,  who  had  arisen  at  half  past  five 
in  order  to  be  with  her  on  the  great  occasion,  was 
at  least  as  happy  as  she. 

"  Like  'em,  do  you?  "  he  asked,  smiling. 

"  Like  'em  !     O  Uncle  Cy !     What  makes  every 
body  so  good  to  me?" 

310 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS  HIS  AGE 

"  I  don't  know.  Strange  thing,  ain't  it — con- 
siderin'  what  a  hard  little  ticket  you  are." 

Bos'n  laughed.  She  understood  her  "  Uncle  Cy," 
and  didn't  mind  being  called  a  "  hard  ticket "  by 
him. 

"  I — I — didn't  believe  anybody  could  have  such  a 
nice  Christmas.  I  never  saw  so  many  nice  things." 

"  Humph!     What  do  you  like  best?  " 

The  answer  was  a  question,  and  was  characteristic. 

"  Which  did  you  give  me?  "  asked  Bos'n. 

The  captain  would  have  dodged,  but  she  wouldn't 
let  him.  So  one  by  one  the  presents  he  had  given 
were  indicated  and  put  by  themselves.  The  remain 
der  were  but  few,  but  she  insisted  that  the  givers 
of  these  should  be  named.  When  the  sorting  was 
over  she  sat  silently  hugging  her  doll  and,  apparently, 
thinking. 

'Well?"  inquired  the  amused  captain.  "Made 
up  your  mind  yet?  Which  do  you  like  best?" 

The  child  nodded. 

"  Why,  these,  of  course,"  she  declared  with  em 
phasis,  pointing  with  her  dollie's  slippered  foot  at 
Captain  Cy's  pile. 

"So?  Do,  hey?  Didn't  know  I  could  pick  so 
well.  All  right;  the  first  prize  is  mine.  Who  takes 
the  second?  " 

This  time  Bos'n  deliberated  before  answering.  At 
last,  however,  she  bent  forward  and  touched  the 
teacher's  gifts. 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  These,"  she  said.     "  I  like  these  next  best." 

Captain  Cy  was  surprised. 

"  Sho  !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  You  don't  say  !  " 

"  Yes.  I  think  I  like  teacher  next  to  you.  I  like 
Georgianna  and  Mr.  Tidditt  and  Mr.  Bangs,  of 
course,  but  I  like  her  a  little  better.  Don't  you, 
Uncle  Cyrus?" 

The  captain  changed  the  subject.  He  asked  her 
what  she  should  name  her  doll. 

The  Board  of  Strategy  came  in  during  the  fore 
noon,  and  the  presents  had  to  be  shown  to  them. 
While  the  exhibition  was  in  progress  Miss  Dawes 
called.  And  before  she  left  Gabe  Lumley  drove  up 
in  the  depot  wagon  bearing  a  big  express  package 
addressed  to  "  Miss  Emily  Thomas,  Bayport." 

"Humph!"  exclaimed  Captain  Cy.  "  Somethin' 
more  for  Bos'n,  hey !  Who  in  the  world  sent  it,  do 
you  s'pose?  " 

Asaph  and  Bailey  made  various  inane  suggestions 
as  to  the  sender.  Phoebe  said  nothing.  There  was  a 
frown  on  her  face  as  she  watched  the  captain  get  to 
work  on  the  box  with  chisel  and  hammer.  It  con 
tained  a  beautiful  doll,  fully  and  expensively  dressed, 
and  pinned  to  the  dress  was  a  card — "  To  dear  little 
Emmie,  from  her  lonesome  Papa." 

The  Board  of  Strategy  looked  at  the  doll  in  won 
der  and  astonishment.  Captain  Cy  strode  away  to 
the  window. 

"  Well !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Bangs.    "  I  didn't  believe 
312 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS   HIS   AGE 

he  had  that  much  heart  inside  of  him.  I  bet  you 
that  cost  four  or  five  dollars;  ain't  that  so,  Cy?" 

The  captain  did  not  answer. 

"Don't  you  think  so,  teacher?"  repeated  Bailey, 
turning  to  Phoebe.  "What  ails  you?  You  don't 
seem  surprised." 

"  I'm  not,"  replied  the  lady.  "  I  expected  some 
thing  of  that  sort." 

Captain  Cy  wheeled  from  the  window. 

"You  did?"  he  asked. 

'  Yes.  Miss  Phinney  said  the  other  day  she  had 
heard  that  that  man  was  going  to  give  his  daughter 
a  beautiful  present.  She  was  very  enthusiastic  about 
his  generosity  and  self-sacrifice.  I  asked  who  told 
her  and  she  said  Mr.  Simpson." 

"  Oh !  Tad?  Is  that  so !  "  The  captain  looked 
at  her. 

'  Yes.  And  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  that  Simp 
son  had  orders  to  make  the  '  generosity '  known  to 
as  many  townspeople  as  possible." 

"  Hum !  I  see.  You  figure  that  Thomas  cal'lates 
'twill  help  his  popularity  and  make  his  case  stronger; 
is  that  it?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  I  doubt  if  he  ever  thought  of  such 
a  thing  himself.  But  some  one  thought  for  him — 
and  some  one  must  have  supplied  the  money." 

;'  Well,  they  say  he's  to  work  up  in  Boston." 

"  I  know.  But  no  one  can  tell  where  he  works. 
Captain  Whittaker,  this  is  Mr.  Atkins's  doing — you 

3*3 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

know  it.  Now,  why  does  he,  a  busy  man,  take  such 
an  interest  in  getting  this  child  away  from  you?" 

Captain  Cy  shook  his  head  and  smiled. 

"  Teacher,"  he  said,  "  you're  dead  set  on  taggin' 
Heman  with  a  mystery,  ain't  you?  " 

"  Miss  Dawes,"  asked  the  forgetful  Bailey,  "  when 
you  and  me  went  drivin'  t'other  day  did  you  find 
out  anything  from " 

Phoebe  interrupted  quickly. 

"  Mr.  Bangs,"  she  said,  "  at  what  time  do  we  dis 
tribute  Christmas  presents  at  your  boarding  house? 
I  suppose  you  must  have  many  Christmas  secrets  to 
keep.  You  keep  a  secret  so  well." 

Mr.  Bangs  turned  red.  The  hint  concerning  secret 
keeping  was  not  wasted.  He  did  not  mention  the 
drive  again. 

A  little  later  Captain  Cy  found  Bos'n  busily  play 
ing  with  the  doll  he  had  given  her.  The  other,  her 
father's  gift,  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  I  put  her  back  in  the  box,"  said  the  child  in  reply 
to  his  question.  "  She  was  awful  pretty,  but  I  think 
I'm  goin'  to  love  this  one  best." 

The  remark  seems  a  foolish  thing  to  give  comfort 
to  a  grown  man,  but  Captain  Cy  found  comfort  in  it, 
and  comfort  was  what  he  needed. 

He  needed  it  more  as  time  went  on.  In  January 
the  court  gave  its  decision.  The  captain's  appoint 
ment  as  guardian  was  revoked.  With  the  father 
alive,  and  professedly  anxious  to  provide  for  the 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS  HIS  AGE 

child's  support,  nothing  else  was  to  be  expected,  so 
Mr.  Peabody  said.  The  latter  entered  an  appeal 
which  would  delay  matters  for  a  time,  two  or  three 
months  perhaps ;  meanwhile  Captain  Cy  was  to  retain 
custody  of  Bos'n. 

But  the  court's  action,  expected  though  it  was, 
made  the  captain  very  blue  and  downcast.  He  could 
see  no  hope.  He  felt  certain  that  he  should  lose  the 
little  girl  in  the  end,  in  spite  of  the  long  succession 
of  appeals  which  his  lawyer  contemplated.  And 
what  would  become  of  her  then  ?  What  sort  of  train 
ing  would  she  be  likely  to  have?  Who  would  her 
associates  be,  under  the  authority  of  a  father  such 
as  hers?  And  what  would  he  do,  alone  in  the  old 
house,  when  she  had  gone  for  good?  He  could  not 
bear  to  think  of  it,  and  yet  he  thought  of  little  else. 

The  evenings,  after  Bos'n  had  gone  to  bed,  were 
the  worst.  During  the  day  he  tried  his  best  to  be 
busy  at  something  or  other.  The  doll  house  was  fin 
ished,  and  he  had  begun  to  fashion  a  full-rigged 
ship  in  miniature.  In  reality  Emily,  being  a  normal 
little  girl,  was  not  greatly  interested  in  ships,  but, 
because  Uncle  Cy  was  making  it,  she  pretended  to 
be  vastly  concerned  about  this  one.  On  Saturdays 
and  after  school  hours  she  sat  on  a  box  in  the  wood 
shed,  where  the  captain  had  put  up  a  small  stove, 
and  watched  him  work.  The  taboo  which  so  many 
of  our  righteous  and  Atkins-worshiping  townspeo 
ple  had  put  upon  the  Whittaker  place  and  its  occu- 

3*5 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

pants  included  her,  and  a  number  of  children  had 
been  forbidden  to  play  with  her.  This,  however, 
did  not  prevent  their  tormenting  her  about  her  father 
and  her  disreputable  guardian. 

But  the  captain's  evenings  were  miserable.  He  no 
longer  went  to  Simmons's.  He  didn't  care  for  the 
crowd  there,  and  knew  they  were  all  "  down  "  on 
him.  Josiah  Dimick  called  occasionally,  and  the 
Board  of  Strategy  often,  but  their  conversation  was 
rather  tiresome.  There  were  times  when  Captain 
Cy  hated  Bayport,  the  house  he  had  "  fixed  up  " 
with  such  interest  and  pride,  and  the  cM  sitting  room 
in  particular.  The  mental  picture  of  comfort  and 
contentment  which  had  been  his  dream  through  so 
many  years  of  struggle  and  wandering,  looked  far 
ther  off  than  ever.  Sometimes  he  was  tempted  to 
run  away,  taking  Bos'n  with  him.  But  the  captain 
had  never  run  away  from  a  fight  yet;  he  had  never 
abandoned  a  ship  while  there  was  a  chance  of  keep 
ing  her  afloat.  And,  besides,  there  was  another 
reason. 

Phoebe  Dawes  had  come  to  be  his  chief  reliance. 
He  saw  a  great  deal  of  her.  Often  when  she  walked 
home  from  school,  she  found  him  hanging  over  the 
front  gate,  and  they  talked  of  various  things — of 
Bos'n's  progress  with  her  studies,  of  the  school  work, 
and  similar  topics.  He  called  her  by  her  first  name 
now,  although  in  this  there  was  nothing  unusual — 
after  a  few  weeks'  acquaintance  we  Bayporters  al- 

316 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS   HIS   AGE 

most  invariably  address  people  by  their  "  front " 
names.  Sometimes  she  came  to  the  house  with 
Emily.  Then  the  three  sat  by  the  stove  in  the  sitting 
room,  and  the  apartment  became  really  cheerful,  in 
the  captain's  eyes. 

Phoebe  was  in  good  spirits.  She  was  as  hopeful  as 
Captain  Cy  was  despondent.  She  seemed  to  have 
little  fear  of  the  outcome  of  the  legal  proceedings, 
the  appeals  and  the  rest.  In  fact,  she  now  appeared 
desirous  of  evading  the  subject,  and  there  was  about 
her  an  air  of  suppressed  excitement.  Her  optimism 
was  the  best  sort  of  bracer  for  the  captain's  failing 
courage.  Her  advice  was  always  good,  and  a  talk 
with  her  left  him  with  shoulders  squared,  mentally, 
and  almost  happy. 

One  cold,  rainy  afternoon,  early  in  February,  she 
came  in  with  Bos'n,  who  had  availed  herself  of  the 
shelter  of  the  teacher's  umbrella.  Georgianna  was 
in  the  kitchen  baking,  and  Emily  had  been  promised 
a  "  saucer  pie  "  —so  the  child  went  out  to  superin 
tend  the  construction  of  that  treat. 

"  Set  down,  teacher,"  said  Captain  Cy,  pushing 
forward  a  rocker.  "  My !  but  I'm  glad  to  see  you. 
'Twas  bluer'n  a  whetstone  'round  here  to-day. 
What's  the  news — anything?" 

"  Why,  no,"  replied  Phrebe,  accepting  the  rocker 
and  throwing  open  her  wet  jacket;  "  there's  no  news 
in  particular.  But  I  wanted  to  ask  if  you  had 
seen  the  Breeze?  " 

317 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Um — hum,"  was  the  listless  answer.  "  I  pre 
sume  likely  you  mean  the  news  about  the  appropria 
tion,  and  the  editorial  dig  at  yours  truly?  Yes,  I've 
seen  it.  They  don't  bother  me  much.  I've  got 
more  important  things  on  my  mind  just  now." 

Congressman  Atkins's  pledge  in  his  farewell 
speech,  concerning  the  mighty  effort  he  was  to  make 
toward  securing  the  appropriation  for  Bayport  har 
bor,  was  in  process  of  fulfillment — so  he  had  written 
to  the  local  paper.  But,  alas !  the  mighty  effort  was 
likely  to  prove  unavailing.  In  spite  of  the  Honora 
ble  Heman's  battle  for  his  constituents'  rights  it 
seemed  certain  that  the  bill  would  not  provide  the 
thirty  thousand  dollars  for  Bayport;  at  least,  not 
this  year's  bill.  Other  and  more  powerful  interests 
would  win  out  and,  instead,  another  section  of  the 
coast  be  improved  at  the  public  expense.  The  con 
gressman  was  deeply  sorry,  almost  broken-hearted. 
He  had  battled  hard  for  his  beloved  town,  he  had 
worked  night  and  day.  But,  to  be  perfectly  frank, 
there  was  little  or  no  hope. 

Few  of  us  blamed  Heman  Atkins.  The  majority 
considered  his  letter  "  noble  "  and  "  so  feeling."  But 
some  one  must  be  blamed  for  a  community  disap 
pointment  like  this,  and  the  scapegoat  was  on  the 
premises.  How  about  that  "  committee  of  one " 
self-appointed  at  town  meeting?  How  about  the  bla 
tant  person  who  had  declared  he  could  have  gotten 
the  appropriation?  What  had  the  "committee" 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS  HIS   AGE 

done?  Nothing!  nothing  at  all!  He  had  not  even 
written  to  the  Capital — so  far  as  anyone  could  find 
out — much  less  gone  there. 

So,  at  Simmons's  and  the  sewing  circle,  and  after 
meeting  on  Sunday,  Cy  Whittaker  was  again  dis 
cussed  and  derided.  And  this  week's  Breeze,  out 
that  morning,  contained  a  sarcastic  editorial  which 
mentioned  no  names,  but  hinted  at  "  a  certain  now 
notorious  person  "  who  had  boasted  loudly,  but  who 
had  again  "  been  weighed  in  the  balance  of  public 
opinion  and  found  wanting." 

Miss  Dawes  did  not  seem  pleased  with  the  cap 
tain's  nonchalant  attitude  toward  the  Breeze  and  its 
editorial.  She  tapped  the  braided  mat  with  her  foot. 

"  Captain  Cyrus,"  she  said,  "  if  you  intended  do 
ing  nothing  toward  securing  that  appropriation  why 
did  you  accept  the  responsibility  for  it  at  the  meet 
ing?" 

Captain  Cy  looked  up.  Her  tone  reminded  him 
of  their  first  meeting,  when  she  had  reproved  him 
for  going  to  sleep  and  leaving  Bos'n  to  the  mercy  of 
the  Cahoon  cow. 

''  Well,"  he  said,  "  afore  this  Thomas  business 
happened,  to  knock  all  my  plans  on  their  beam  ends, 
I'd  done  consider'ble  thinkin'  about  that  appropria 
tion.  It  seemed  to  me  that  there  must  be  some  rea 
son  for  Heman's  comin'  about  so  sudden.  He  was 
sartin  sure  of  the  thirty  thousand  for  a  spell;  then, 
all  to  once,  he  begun  to  take  in  sail  and  go  on  t'other 

319 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

tack.  I  don't  know  much  about  politics,  but  I  know 
he  knows  all  the  politics  there  is.  And  it  seemed  to 
me  that  if  a  live  man,  one  with  eyes  in  his  head, 
went  to  Washington  and  looked  around  he  might 
find  the  reason.  And,  if  he  did  find  it,  maybe  Heman 
could  be  coaxed  into  changin'  his  mind  again.  Any 
how,  I  was  willin'  to  take  the  risk  of  tryin' ;  and,  be 
sides,  Tad  and  Abe  Leonard  had  me  on  the  griddle 
at  that  meetin',  and  I  spoke  up  sharp — too  sharp, 
maybe." 

u  But  you  still  believe  that  you  might  help  if  you 
went  to  Washington?" 

"  Yes.  I  guess  I  do.  Anyhow,  I'd  ask  some 
pretty  p'inted  questions.  You  see,  I  ain't  lived  here 
in  Bayport  all  my  life,  and  I  don't  swaller  all  the  bait 
Heman  heaves  overboard." 

'  Then  why  don't  you  go  ?  " 

"Hey?  Why  don't  I  go?  And  leave  Bos'n 
and " 

"  Emily  would  be  all  right  and  perfectly  safe. 
Georgianna  thinks  the  world  of  her.  And,  Captain 
Whittaker,  I  don't  like  to  hear  these  people  talk  of 
you  as  they  do.  I  don't  like  to  read  such  things  in 
the  paper,  that  you  were  only  bragging  in  order  to 
be  popular,  and  meant  to  shirk  when  the  time  came 
for  action.  I  know  they're  not  true.  I  know  it !  " 

Captain  Cy  was  gratified,  and  his  gratification 
showed  in  his  voice. 

"  Thank  you,  Phoebe,"  he  said.  "  I  am  much 
320 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS   HIS   AGE 

obliged  to  you.  But,  you  see,  I  don't  take  any  in 
terest  in  such  things  any  more.  When  I  realize  that 
pretty  soon  I've  got  to  give  up  that  little  girl  for 
good  I  can't  bear  to  be  away  from  her  a  minute 
hardly.  I  don't  like  to  leave  her  here  alone  with 
Georgianna  and " 

"  I  will  keep  an  eye  on  her.  You  trust  me,  don't 
you?" 

'Trust  you?  By  the  big  dipper,  you're  about 
the  only  one  I  can  trust  these  days.  I  don't  know 
how  I'd  have  pulled  through  this  if  you  hadn't 
helped.  You're  diff'rent  from  Ase  and  Bailey  and 
their  kind — not  meanin'  anything  against  them, 
either.  But  you're  broad-minded  and  cool-headed 
and — and —  Do  you  know,  if  I'd  had  a  woman  like 
you  to  advise  me  all  these  years  and  keep  me  from 
goin'  off  the  course,  I  might  have  been  somebody  by 
now." 

"  I  think  you're  somebody  as  it  is." 

''  Don't  talk  that  way.  I  own  up  I  like  to  hear 
you,  but  I'm  'fraid  it  ain't  true.  You  say  I  amount 
to  somethin'.  Well,  what?  I  come  back  home  here, 
with  some  money  in  my  pocket,  thinkin'  that  was 
about  all  was  necessary  to  make  me  a  good  deal 
of  a  feller.  The  old  Cy  Whittaker  place,  I  said  to 
myself,  was  goin'  to  be  a  real  Cy  Whittaker  place 
again.  And  I'd  be  a  real  Whittaker,  a  man  who 
should  stand  for  somethin',  as  my  dad  and  grand 
dad  did  afore  me.  The  town  should  respect  me,  and 
23  321 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

I'd  do  things  to  help  it  along.  And  what's  it  all 
come  to?  Why,  every  young  one  on  the  street 
is  told  to  be  good  for  fear  he'll  grow  up  like  me. 
Ain't  that  so?  Course  it's  so!  I'm 

"You  shall  not  speak  so!  Do  you  imagine  that 
you're  not  respected  by  everyone  whose  respect  counts 
for  anything?  Yes,  and  by  others,  too.  Don't  you 
suppose  Mr.  Atkins  respects  you,  down  in  his  heart 
— if  he  has  one?  Doesn't  your  housekeeper,  who  sees 
you  every  day,  respect  and  like  you?  And  little 
Emily — doesn't  she  love  you  more  than  she  does  all 
the  rest  of  us  together?  " 

"  Well,  I  guess  Bos'n  does  care  for  the  old  man 
some,  that's  a  fact.  She  says  she  likes  you  next  best, 
though.  Did  you  know  that?" 

But  Miss  Dawes  was  indignant. 

"  Captain  Whittaker,"  she  declared,  "  one  would 
think  you  were  a  hundred  years  old  to  hear  you. 
You  are  always  calling  yourself  an  old  man.  Does 
Mr.  Atkins  call  himself  old?  And  he  is  older  than 
you." 

"  Well,  I'm  over  fifty,  Phoebe."  In  spite  of  the 
habit  for  which  he  had  just  been  reproached,  the  cap 
tain  found  this  a  difficult  statement  to  make. 

"  I  know.  But  you're  younger  than  most  of  us  at 
thirty-five.  You  see,  I'm  confessing,  too,"  she  added 
with  a  laugh  and  a  little  blush. 

Captain  Cy  made  a  mental  calculation. 
'  Twenty  years,"   he   said   musingly.      "  Twenty 
322 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS   HIS   AGE 

years  is  a  long  time.  No,  Irm  old.  And  worse  than 
that,  I'm  an  old  fool,  I  guess.  If  I  hadn't  been  I'd 
have  stayed  in  South  America  instead  of  comin'  here 
to  be  hooted  out  of  the  town  I  was  born  in." 

The  teacher  stamped  her  foot. 

"  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  with  you  I  "  she  exclaimed. 
;i  It  is  wicked  for  you  to  say  such  things.  Do  you 
suppose  that  Mr.  Atkins  would  find  it  necessary  to 
work  as  he  is  doing  to  beat  a  fool?  And,  besides, 
you're  not  complimentary  to  me.  Should  I,  do  you 
think,  take  such  an  interest  in  one  who  was  an  im 
becile?" 

"  Well,  'tis  mighty  good  of  you.  Your  comin' 
here  so  to  help  Bos'n's  fight  along  is 

"  How  do  you  know  it  is  Bos'n  altogether?  I — " 
She  stopped  suddenly,  and  the  color  rushed  to  her 
face.  She  rose  from  the  rocker.  "  I — really,  I 
don't  see  how  we  came  to  be  discussing  such  non 
sense,"  she  said.  "  Our  ages  and  that  sort  of  thing! 
Captain  Cyrus,  I  wish  you  would  go  to  Washington. 
I  think  you  ought  to  go." 

But  the  captain's  thoughts  were  far  from  Wash 
ington  at  that  moment.  His  own  face  was  alight, 
and  his  eyes  shone. 

"  Phoebe,"  he  faltered  unbelievingly,  "  what  was 
you  goin'  to  say?  Do  you  mean  that — that " 

The  side  door  of  the  house  opened.  The  next  in 
stant  Mr.  Tidditt,  a  dripping  umbrella  in  his  hand, 
entered  the  sitting  room. 

323 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Hello,  Whit!  "  he  hailed.  "  Just  run  in  for  a 
minute  to  say  howdy."  Then  he  noticed  the  school 
mistress,  and  his  expression  changed.  "  Oh !  how 
be  you,  Miss  Dawes?"  he  said.  "  I  didn't  see  you 
fust  off.  Don't  run  away  on  my  account.'* 

"  I  was  just  going,"  said  Phoebe,  buttoning  her 
jacket.  Captain  Cy  accompanied  her  to  the  door. 

"  Good-by,"  she  said.  "  There  was  something 
else  I  meant  to  say,  but  I  think  it  is  best  to  wait.  I 
hope  to  have  some  good  news  for  you  soon.  Some 
thing  that  will  send  you  to  Washington  with  a  light 
heart.  Perhaps  I  shall  hear  to-morrow.  If  so,  I  will 
call  after  school  and  tell  you." 

"  Yes,  do,"  urged  the  captain  eagerly.  "  You'll 
find  me  here  waitin'.  Good  news  or  not,  do  come. 
I — I  ain't  said  all  I  wanted  to,  myself." 

He  returned  to  the  sitting  room.  The  town  clerk 
was  standing  by  the  stove.  He  looked  troubled. 

"What's  the  row,  Ase?"  asked  Cy  cheerily. 
He  was  overflowing  with  good  nature. 

"  Oh,  nothin'  special,"  replied  Mr.  Tidditt.  "  You 
look  joyful  enough  for  two  of  us.  Had  good  com 
pany,  ain't  you?  " 

"Why,  yes;  'bout  as  good  as  there  is.  What 
makes  you  look  so  glum  ?  " 

Asaph  hesitated. 

"Phoebe  was  here  yesterday,  too,  wan't  she?" 
he  asked. 

"Yup.    What  of  it?" 

324 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS  HIS  AGE 

"And  the  day  afore  that?" 

"  No,  not  for  three  days  afore  that.  But  what 
of  it,  I  ask  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  now,  Cy,  you  mustn't  get  mad.  I'm  a 
friend  of  yours,  and  friends  ought  to  be  able  to  say 
'most  anything  to  each  other.  If — if  I  was  you,  I 
wouldn't  let  Phoebe  come  so  often — not  here,  you 
know,  at  your  house.  Course,  I  know  she  comes  with 
Bos'n  and  all,  but " 

"  Out  with  it!  "  The  captain's  tone  was  ominous. 
"  What  are  you  drivin'  at?  " 

The  caller  fidgeted. 

"Well,  Whit,"  he  stammered,  "there's  consid- 
er'ble  talkin'  goin'  on,  that's  all." 

"  Talkin'  ?    What  kind  of  talkin'  ?  " 

;£  Well,  you  know  the  kind.  This  town  does  a 
good  deal  of  it,  'specially  after  church  and  prayer 
meetin'.  Seem's  if  they  thought  'twas  a  sort  of 
proper  place:  /  don't  myself;  I  kind  of  like  to  keep 
my  charity  and  brotherly  love  spread  out  through  the 
week,  but— 

"  Ase,  are  the  folks  in  this  town  sayin'  a  word 
against  Phoebe  Dawes  because  she  comes  here  to 
see— Bos'n?" 

"  Don't — don't  get  mad,  Whit, 
me  like  that.     /  ain't  said  nothin'. 
ago,  at  the  boardin'  house,  I " 

He  told  of  the  meal  at  the  perfect  boarding 
house  where  Miss  Dawes  championed  his  friend's 

325 


«" Don't — don't  get  mad,   Whit.      I  ain't  said  nothin'.'' 

cause.      Also  of  the  conversation  which   followed, 
and  his  own  part  in  it.     Captain  Cy  paced  the  floor. 
"  I  wouldn't  have  her  come  so  often,  Cy,"  pleaded 
326 


THE   CAPTAIN   REMEMBERS   HIS   AGE 

Asaph.  "  Honest,  I  wouldn't.  Course,  you  and  me 
know  they're  mean,  miser'ble  liars,  but  it's  her  I'm 
thinkin'  of.  She's  a  young  woman  and  single.  And 
you're  a  good  many  years  older'n  she  is.  And  so, 
of  course,  you  and  she  ain't  ever  goin'  to  get  mar 
ried.  And  have  you  thought  what  effect  it  might 
have  on  her  keepin'  her  teacher's  place?  The  com 
mittee's  a  majority  against  her  as  'tis.  And — you 
know  /  don't  think  so,  but  a  good  many  folks  do — 
you  ain't  got  the  best  name  just  now.  Darn  it  all! 
I  ain't  puttin'  this  the  way  I'd  ought  to,  but  you  know 
what  I  mean,  don't  you,  Cy?  " 

Captain  Cy  was  leaning  against  the  window  frame, 
his  head  upon  his  arm.  He  was  not  looking  out, 
because  the  shade  was  drawn.  Tidditt  waited  anxious 
ly  for  him  to  answer.  At  last  he  turned. 

"  Ase,"  he  said,  "  I'm  much  obliged  to  you.  You've 
pounded  it  in  pretty  hard,  but  I  cal'late  I'd  ought 
to  have  had  it  done  to  me.  I'm  a  fool — an  old 
fool,  just  as  I  said  a  while  back — and  nothin'  nor 
nobody  ought  to  have  made  me  forget  it.  For  a 
minute  or  so  I — but  there !  don't  you  fret.  That 
young  woman  shan't  risk  her  job  nor  her  reputation 
on  account  of  me — nor  of  Bos'n,  either.  I'll  see  to 
that.  And  see  here,"  he  added  fiercely,  "  I  can't  stop 
women's  tongues,  even  when  they're  as  bad  as  some 
of  the  tongues  in  this  town,  but  if  you  hear  a  man 
say  one  word  against  Phoebe  Dawes,  only  one  word, 
you  tell  me  his  name.  You  hear,  Ase?  You  tell  me 

327 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

his  name.  Now  run  along,  will  you?  I  ain't  safe 
company  just  now." 

Asaph,  frightened  at  the  effect  of  his  words,  hur 
riedly  departed.  Captain  Cy  paced  the  room  for  the 
next  fifteen  minutes.  Then  he  opened  the  kitchen  door. 

"  Bos'n,"  he  called,  "  come  in  and  set  in  my  lap 
a  while;  don't  you  want  to?  I'm — I'm  sort  of 
lonesome,  little  girl." 

The  next  afternoon,  when  the  schoolmistress,  who 
had  been  delayed  by  the  inevitable  examination 
papers,  stopped  at  the  Cy  Whittaker  place,  she  was 
met  by  Georgianna;  Emily,  who  stood  behind  the 
housekeeper  in  the  doorway,  was  crying. 

"  Cap'n  Cy  has  gone  away — to  Washin'ton,"  de 
clared  Georgianna.  "  Though  what  he's  gone  there 
for's  more'n  I  know.  He  said  he'd  send  his  hotel 
address  soon's  he  got  there.  He  went  on  the  three 
o'clock  train." 

Phoebe  was  astonished. 

"Gone?"  she  repeated.  "So  soon!  Why,  he  told  me 
he  should  certainly  be  here  to  hear  some  news  I  ex 
pected  to-day.  Didn't  he  leave  any  message  for  me?  " 

The  housekeeper  turned  red. 

"  Miss  Phoebe,"  she  said,  "  he  told  me  to  tell  you 
somethin',  and  it's  so  dreadful  I  don't  hardly  dast 
to  say  it.  I  think  his  troubles  have  driven  him  crazy. 
He  said  to  tell  you  that  you'd  better  not  come  to  this 
house  any  more." 

328 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

CONGRESSMAN   EVERDEAN 

IN  the  old  days,  the  great  days  of  sailing  ships 
and  merchant  fleets,  Bayport  was  a  community 
of  travelers.  Every  ambitious  man  went  to 
sea,  and  eventually,  if  he  lived,  became  a  captain. 
Then  he  took  his  wife,  and  in  most  cases  his  chil 
dren,  with  him  on  long  voyages.  To  the  stay-at- 
homes  came  letters  with  odd,  foreign  stamps  and 
postmarks.  Our  what-nots  and  parlor  mantels  were 
filled  with  carved  bits  of  ivory,  gorgeous  shells,  ala- 
oaster  candlesticks,  and  plaster  miniatures  of  the 
Leaning  Tower  at  Pisa  or  the  Coliseum  at  Rome. 
We  usually  began  a  conversation  with  "  When  my 
husband  and  I  were  at  Hong  Kong  the  last  time — " 
or  "  I  remember  at  Mauritius  they  always — "  New 
Orleans  or  'Frisco  were  the  nearest  domestic  ports 
the  mention  of  which  was  considered  worth  while. 

But  this  is  so  no  longer.  A  trip  to  Boston  is, 
of  course,  no  novelty  to  the  most  of  us;  but  when  we 
visit  New  York  we  take  care  to  advertise  it  before 
hand.  And  the  few  who  avail  themselves  of  the 
spring  "  cut  rates  "  and  go  on  excursions  to  Wash- 

329 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

ington,  plan  definite  programmes  for  each  day  at 
the  Capital,  and  discuss  them  with  envious  friends 
for  weeks  in  advance.  And  if  the  prearranged 
programme  is  not  scrupulously  carried  out,  we  feel 
that  we  have  been  defrauded.  It  was  the  regret  of 
Aunt  Sophronia  Hallett's  life  that,  on  her  Washing 
ton  excursion,  she  had  not  seen  the  "  Diplomatic 
Corpse."  She  saw  the  President  and  the  Monument 
and  Congress  and  "  the  relics  in  the  Smithsonian  In 
stitute,"  but  the  "  Corpse"  was  not  on  view;  Aunt 
Sophronia  never  quite  got  over  the  disappointment. 
Probably  no  other  Bayporter,  in  recent  years,  has 
started  for  Washington  on  such  short  notice  or  with 
so  ill-defined  a  programme  as  Captain  Cy.  He  went 
because  he  felt  that  he  must  go  somewhere.  After 
the  conversation  with  Asaph,  he  simply  could  not 
remain  at  home.  If  Phoebe  Dawes  called,  he  knew 
that  he  must  see  her,  and  if  he  saw  her,  what  should 
he  say  to  her?  He  could  not  tell  her  that  she  must 
not  visit  the  Cy  Whittaker  place  again.  If  he  did, 
she  would  insist  upon  the  reason.  If  he  told  her 
of  the  "  town  talk,"  he  felt  sure,  knowing  her,  that 
she  would  indignantly  refuse  to  heed  the  malicious 
gossip.  And  he  was  firmly  resolved  not  to  permit 
her  to  compromise  her  life  and  her  future  by  friend 
ship  with  a  social  outcast  like  himself.  As  for  any 
thing  deeper  and  more  sacred  than  friendship,  that 
was  ridiculous.  If,  for  a  moment,  a  remark  of 
hers  had  led  him  to  dream  of  such  a  thing,  it  was 

330 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

because  he  was,  as  he  had  so  often  declared,  an 
"  old  fool." 

So  Captain  Cy  had  resolved  upon  flight,  and  he 
fled  to  Washington  because  the  business  of  the  "  com 
mittee  of  one  "  offered  a  legitimate  excuse  for  going 
there.  The  blunt  message  he  had  intrusted  to  Georgi- 
anna  would,  he  believed,  arouse  Phoebe's  indignation. 
She  would  not  call  again.  And  when  he  returned  to 
Bos'n,  it  would  be  to  take  up  the  child's  fight  alone. 
If  he  lost  that  fight,  or  when  he  lost  it,  he  would  close 
the  Cy  Whittaker  place,  and  leave  Bayport  for  good. 

He  had  been  in  Washington  once  before,  years 
ago,  when  he  was  first  mate  of  a  ship  and  had  a  few 
weeks'  shore  leave.  Then  he  went  there  on  a  pleas 
ure  trip  with  some  seagoing  friends,  and  had  a  jolly 
time.  But  there  was  precious  little  jollity  in  the  pres 
ent  visit.  He  had  never  felt  so  thoroughly  misera 
ble.  In  order  to  forget,  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
work  his  hardest  to  discover  why  the  harbor  appro 
priation  was  not  to  be  given  to  Bayport. 

The  city  had  changed  greatly.  He  would  scarcely 
have  known  it.  He  went  to  the  hotel  where  he  had 
stayed  before,  and  found  a  big,  modern  building  in  its 
place.  The  clerk  was  inclined  to  be  rather  curt  and 
perfunctory  at  first,  but  when  he  learned  that  the 
captain  was  not  anxious  concerning  the  price  of  ac 
commodations,  but  merely  wanted  a  *'  comf'table 
berth  somewheres  on  the  saloon  deck,"  and  appeared 
to  have  plenty  of  money,  he  grew  polite.  Captain 

331 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Cy  was  shown  to  his  room,  where  he  left  his  valise. 
Then  he  went  down  to  dinner. 

After  the  meal  was  over,  he  seated  himself  in  one 
of  the  big  leather  chairs  in  the  hotel  lobby,  smoked 
and  thought.  In  the  summer,  before  Bos'n  came, 
and  before  her  father  had  arisen  to  upset  every  calcu 
lation  and  wreck  all  his  plans,  the  captain  had  given 
serious  thought  to  what  he  should  do  if  Congressman 
Atkins  failed,  as  even  then  he  seemed  likely  to  do,  in 
securing  that  appropriation.  The  obvious  thing,  of 
course,  would  have  been  to  hunt  up  Mr.  Atkins  and 
question  him.  But  this  was  altogether  too  obvious. 
In  the  first  place,  the  strained  relations  between  them 
wrould  make  the  interview  uncomfortable;  and,  in 
the  second,  if  there  was  anything  underhand  in  He- 
man's  backsliding  on  the  appropriation,  Atkins  was 
too  wary  a  bird  to  be  snared  with  questions. 

But  Captain  Cy  had  another  acquaintance  in  the 
city,  the  son  of  a  still  older  acquaintance,  who  had 
been  a  wealthy  shipping  merchant  and  mine  owner 
in  California.  The  son  was  also  a  congressman,  from 
a  coast  State,  and  the  captain  had  read  of  him  in  the 
papers.  A  sketch  of  his  life  had  been  printed,  and 
this  made  his  identity  absolutely  certain.  Captain 
Cy's  original  idea  had  been  to  write  to  this  congress 
man.  Now  he  determined  to  find  and  interview  him. 

He  inquired  concerning  him  of  the  hotel  clerk, 
who,  like  all  Washington  clerks,  was  a  walking  edi 
tion  of  "  Who's  Who  at  the  Capital." 

332 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

"  Congressman  Everdean?  "  repeated  the  all-know* 
ing  young  gentleman.  "  Yes.  He's  in  town.  Has 
rooms  at  the  Gloria;  second  hotel  on  the  right  as 
you  go  up  the  avenue.  Only  a  short  walk.  What 
can  I  do  for  you,  sir?  " 

The  Gloria  was  an  even  bigger  hotel  than  the  one 
where  the  captain  had  his  "  berth."  An  inquiry  at 
the  desk,  of  another  important  clerk,  was  answered 
with  a  brisk: 

"  Mr.  Everdean?  Yes,  he  rooms  here.  Don't 
know  whether  he's  in  or  not.  Evening,  judge.  Nice 
winter  weather  we're  having." 

The  judge,  who  was  a  ponderous  person  vaguely 
suggesting  the  great  Heman,  admitted  that  the  weath 
er  was  fine,  patronizing  it  as  he  did  so.  The  clerk 
continued  the  conversation.  Captain  Cy  waited.  At 
length  he  spoke. 

"  Excuse  me,  commodore,"  he  said;  "  I  don't  like 
to  break  in  until  you've  settled  whether  you  have  it 
snow  or  not,  but  I'm  here  to  see  Congressman  Ever 
dean.  Hadn't  you  better  order  one  of  your  fo'mast 
hands  to  hunt  him  up?  " 

The  judge  condescended  to  smile,  as  did  sev 
eral  other  men  who  stood  near.  The  clerk  red 
dened. 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  Mr.  Everdean?  "  he  snapped. 
'  Why,  yes,  I  did.  But  I  can't  see  him  from  here 
without  strainin'  my  eyesight." 

The  clerk  sharply  demanded  one  of  the  captain's 
333 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

visiting  cards.  He  didn't  get  one,  for  the  very  good 
reason  that  there  was  none  in  existence. 

u  Tell  him  an  old  friend  of  his  dad's  is  here  on 
the  main  deck  waitin'  for  him,"  said  Captain  Cy. 
"  That'll  do  first  rate.  Thank  you,  admiral." 

Word  came  that  the  congressman  would  be  down 
in  a  few  moments.  The  captain  beguiled  the  inter 
val  by  leaning  on  the  rail  and  regarding  the  clerk 
with  an  awed  curiosity  that  annoyed  its  object  ex 
ceedingly.  The  inspection  was  still  on  when  a  tall 
man,  of  an  age  somewhere  in  the  early  thirties, 
walked  briskly  up  to  the  desk. 

"  Who  is  it  that  wants  to  see  me?  "  he  asked. 

The  clerk  waved  a  deprecatory  hand  in  Captain 
Cy's  direction.  The  newcomer  turned. 

"  My  name  is  Everdean,"  he  said.  "  Are  you — • 
hey? — Great  Scott!  Is  it  possible  this  is  Captain 
Whittaker?" 

The  captain  was  immensely  pleased. 

"  Well,  I  declare,  Ed!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  didn't 
believe  you'd  remember  me  after  all  these  years. 
You  was  nothin'  but  a  boy  when  I  saw  you  out  in 
'Frisco.  Well!  well!  No  wonder  you're  in  Con 
gress.  A  man  that  can  remember  faces  like  that 
ought  to  be  President." 

Everdean  laughed  as  they  shook  hands. 

"  Don't  suppose  I'd  forget  the  chap  who  used  to 
dine  with  us  and  tell  me  those  sea  stories,  do  you?  " 
he  said.  "  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you.  What  are 

334 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

you  doing  here?  The  last  father  and  I  heard  of  you, 
you  were  in  South  America.  Given  up  the  sea,  they 
said,  and  getting  rich  fast." 

Captain  Cy  chuckled. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  I  learned  long  ago  not  to  be 
lieve  all  I  hear,"  he  answered,  "  else  I'd  have  been 
so  sure  I  was  rich  that  I'd  have  spent  all  I  had,  and 
been  permanent  boarder  at  the  poorhouse  by  now. 
No,  thanks;  I've  had  dinner.  Why,  yes,  I'll  smoke, 
if  you'll  help  along.  How's  your  father?  Smart, 
is  he?" 

The  congressman  insisted  that  they  should  adjourn 
to  his  rooms.  An  unmarried  man,  he  kept  bachelor's 
hall  at  the  hotel  during  his  stay  in  Washington. 
There,  in  comfortable  chairs,  they  spoke  of  old  times, 
when  the  captain  was  seafaring  and  the  Everdean 
home  had  been  his  while  his  ship  was  in  port  at 
'Frisco.  He  told  of  his  return  to  Bayport,  and  the 
renovation  of  the  old  house.  Of  Bos'n  he  said 
nothing.  At  last  Everdean  asked  what  had  brought 
him  to  Washington. 

"  Well,"  said  Captain  Cy,  "  I'll  tell  you.  I'm 
like  the  feller  in  court  without  a  lawyer;  he  said 
he  couldn't  tell  whether  he  was  guilty  or  not  'count 
of  havin'  no  professional  advice.  That's  what  I've 
come  to  you  for,  Ed — professional  advice." 

He  told  the  harbor  appropriation  story.  At 
the  incident  of  the  "  committee  of  one  "  his  friend 
laughed  heartily. 

335 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

14  Rather  put  your  foot  in  it  that  time,  Captain, 
didn't  you?  "  he  said. 

4  Yup.  Then  I  got  t'other  one  stuck  tryin'  to  get 
the  first  clear.  How's  it  look  to  you?  All  straight, 
do  you  think?  or  is  there  a  nigger  in  the  wood  pile?  " 

Mr.  Everdean  seemed  to  reflect. 

"  Well,  Captain,"  he  said,  44  I  can't  tell.  You're 
asking  delicate  questions.  Politicians  are  like  doc 
tors,  they  usually  back  up  each  other's  opinions. 
Still,  you're  at  least  as  good  a  friend  of  mine  as 
Atkins  is.  Queer  he  should  bob  up  in  this  matter! 
Why,  he — but  never  mind  that  now.  I  tell  you,  Cap 
tain  Whittaker,  you  come  around  and  have  dinner 
with  me  to-morrow  night.  In  the  meantime  I'll  see 
the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  that  bill — one  of 
the  so-called  '  pork '  bills  it  is.  Possibly  from  him 
and  some  other  acquaintances  of  mine  I  may  learn 
something.  At  any  rate,  you  come  to  dinner." 

So  the  invitation  was  accepted,  and  Captain  Cy 
went  back  to  his  own  hotel  and  his  room.  He  slept 
but  little,  although  it  was  not  worry  over  the  appro 
priation  question  which  kept  him  awake.  Next 
morning  he  wrote  a  note  to  Georgianna,  giving  his 
Washington  address.  With  it  he  enclosed  a  long 
letter  to  Bos'n,  telling  her  he  should  be  home  pretty 
soon,  and  that  she  must  be  a  good  girl  and  44  boss  the 
ship  "  during  his  absence.  He  sent  his  regards  to 
Asaph  and  Bailey,  but  Phoebe's  name  he  did  not 
mention.  Then  he  put  in  a  miserable  day  wandering 

336 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

about  the  city.  At  eight  that  evening  he  and  his 
Western  friend  sat  down  at  a  corner  table  in  the 
big  dining  room  of  the  Gloria. 

The  captain  began  to  ask  questions  as  soon  as  the 
soup  was  served,  but  Everdean  refused  to  answer. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said,  "  pleasure  first  and  business 
afterwards;  that's  a  congressional  motto.  I  can't 
talk  Atkins  with  my  dinner  and  enjoy  it." 

"  Can't,  hey?  You  wouldn't  be  popular  at  our  per 
fect  boarding  house  back  home.  There  they  serve 
Heman  hot  for  breakfast  and  dinner,  and  warm  him 
over  for  supper.  All  right,  I  can  wait." 

The  conversation  wandered  from  Buenos  Ayres 
to  'Frisco  and  back  again  until  the  cigars  and  coffee 
were  reached.  Then  the  congressman  blew  a  fragrant 
ring  into  the  air  and,  from  behind  it,  looked  quiz 
zically  at  his  companion. 

'  Well,"  he  observed,  "  so  far  as  that  appropria 
tion  of  yours  is  concerned " 

He  paused  and  blew  a  second  ring.  Captain  Cy 
stroked  his  beard. 

"  Um — yes,"  he  drawled,  "  now  that  you  mention 
it,  seems  to  me  there  was  some  talk  of  an  appropria 
tion." 

Mr.  Everdean  laughed. 

"  I've  been  making  inquiries,"  he  said.  "  I  saw 
the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  the  pork  bill.  I 

know  him  well.     He's  a  good  fellow,  but " 

'  Yes,  I  know.     I've  seen  lots  of  politicians  like 
24  337 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

that;  they're  all  good  fellers,  but —  If  I  was  in  poli 
tics  I'd  make  a  law  to  cut  '  But '  out  of  the  diction 
ary." 

"  Well,  this  chap  really  is  a  good  fellow.  I  asked 
about  the  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  your  town.  He 
asked  me  why  I  didn't  go  to  the  congressman  from 
that  district,  and  not  bother  him  about  it.  I  said 
perhaps  I  would  go  to  the  congressman  later,  but  I 
came  to  him  first." 

"  Sartin.  Same  as  the  feller  with  a  sick  mother-in- 
law  stopped  in  at  the  undertaker's  on  his  way  to 
call  the  doctor.  All  right;  heave  ahead." 

''  Well,  we  had  a  rather  long  conversation.  I  dis 
covered  that  the  Bayport  item  was  originally  in 
cluded  in  the  bill,  but  recently  had  been  stricken  out." 

'  Yes,  I  see.  Uncle  Sam  had  to  economize,  hey? 
Save  somethin'  for  a  rainy  day." 

"  Well,  possibly.  Still  the  bill  is  just  as  heavy. 
Now,  Captain  Whittaker,  I  don't  know  anything 
about  this  affair,  and  it's  not  my  business.  But  I've 
been  about  to-day,  and  I  asked  questions,  and — I'm 
going  to  tell  you  a  fairy  tale.  It  isn't  as  interesting 
as  your  sea  yarns,  but —  Do  you  like  fairy  stories?  " 

"  Land,  yes !  Tell  a  few  myself  when  it's  neces 
sary.  Sometimes  I  almost  believe  'em.  Well?" 

"  Of  course,  you  must  remember  this  is  a  fairy 
story.  Let's  suppose  that  once  on  a  time — that's  the 
way  they  always  begin — once  on  a  time  there  was  a 
great  man,  great  in  his  own  country,  who  was  sent 

338 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

abroad  by  his  people  to  represent  them  among  the 
rulers  of  the  land.  So,  in  order  to  typically  repre 
sent  them,  he  dressed  in  glad  and  expensive  raiment, 
went  about  in  dignity,  and " 

"  And  whiskers.    Don't  leave  out  the  whiskers !  " 

"  All  right — and  whiskers.  And  it  came  to  pass 
that  the  people  whom  he  represented  wished  to — to 
— er — bring  about  a  certain  needed  improvement  in 
their — their  beautiful  and  enterprising  community." 

"  Sho  !  sho !  how  natural  that  sounds !  You  must 
be  a  mind  reader." 

"  No.  But  I  have  to  make  speeches  in  my  own 
community  occasionally.  Well,  the  people  asked 
their  great  man  to  get  the  money  needed  for  this  im 
provement  from  the  rulers  of  the  land  aforemen 
tioned.  And  he  was  at  first  all  enthusiasm  and  upon 
the — the  parchment  scroll  where  such  matters  are 
inscribed  was  written  the  name  of  the  beautiful  and 
enterprising  community,  and  the  sum  of  money  it 
asked  for.  And  the  deal  was  as  good  as  made.  Ex 
cuse  the  modern  phraseology;  my  fairy  lingo  got 
mixed  there." 

"  Never  mincL  I  can  get  the  drift  just  as  well — 
maybe  better." 

"  And  the  deal  was  as  good  as  made.  But  before 
the  vote  was  taken  another  chap  came  to  the  great 
man  and  said :  '  Look  here  I  I  want  to  get  an  appro 
priation  of,  say,  fifty  thousand  dollars,  to  deepen  and 
improve  a  river  down  in  my  State ' — a  Southern 

339 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

State  we'll  say.  *  I've  been  to  the  chairman  of  the 
pork  bill  committee,  and  he  says  it's  impossible.  The 
bill  simply  can't  be  loaded  any  further.  But  I  find  that 
you  have  an  item  in  there  for  deepening  and  improv 
ing  a  harbor  back  in  your  own  district.  Why  don't 
you  cut  that  item  out — shove  it  over  until  next  year? 
You  can  easily  find  a  satisfactory  explanation  for 
your  constituents.  And  you  want  to  remember  this : 
the  improvement  of  this  river  means  that  the — the — 
well,  a  certain  sugar-growing  company — can  get  their 
stuff  to  market  at  a  figure  which  will  send  its  stock  up 
and  up.  And  you  are  said  to  own  a  considerable 
amount  of  that  stock.  So  why  not  drop  the  harbor 
item  and  substitute  my  river  slice?  Then — '  Well, 
I  guess  that's  the  end  of  the  tale." 

He  paused  and  relit  his  cigar.  Captain  Cy 
thoughtfully  marked  with  his  fork  on  the  table 
cloth. 

"  Hum !  "  he  grunted.  "  That's  a  very  interestin' 
yarn.  Yes,  yes!  don't  know's  I  ever  heard  a  more 
interestin'  one.  I  presume  likely  there  ain't  a  mite 
of  proof  that  it's  true?  " 

"  Not  an  atom.  I  told  you  it  was  a  fairy  tale. 
And  I  mustn't  be  quoted  in  the  matter.  Honestly, 
the  most  of  it  is  guess  work,  at  that.  But  perhaps 
a  '  committee  of  one,'  dropping  a  hint  at  home, 
might  at  least  arouse  some  uncomfortable  question 
ing  of  a  certain  great  man.  That's  about  all,  though. 
Proof  is  quite  another  thing." 

340 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

The  captain  pondered.  He  was  fully  aware  that 
the  unpopularity  of  the  "  committee  "  would  nullify 
whatever  good  its  hinting  might  do. 

"  Humph !  "  he  grunted  again.  "  It's  one  thing  to 
smell  a  rat  and  another  to  nail  its  tail  to  the  floor. 
But  I'm  mighty  obliged  to  you,  all  the  same.  And 
I'll  think  it  over  hard.  Say!  I  can  see  one  thing 
— you  don't  take  a  very  big  shine  to  Heman  your 
self." 

"Not  too  big — no.     Do  you?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  wake  up  nights  and  cry  for  him." 

Everdean  laughed. 

"  That's  characteristic,"  he  said.  "  You  have 
your  own  way  of  putting  things,  Captain,  and  it's 
hard  to  be  improved  on.  Atkins  has  never  done 
anything  to  me.  I  just — I  just  don't  like  him,  that's 
all.  Father  never  liked  him,  either,  in  the  old  days; 
and  yet — and  it's  odd,  too — he  was  the  means  of  the 
old  gentleman's  making  the  most  of  his  money." 

"He?     Who?     Not  Heman?" 

"  Yes,  Heman  Atkins.  But,  so  far  as  that  goes, 
father  started  him  toward  wealth,  I  suppose.  At 
least,  he  was  poor  enough  before  the  mine  was  sold." 

;' What  are  you  talkin'  about?  Heman  got  his 
start  tradin'  over  in  the  South  Seas.  Sellin'  the 
Kanakas  glass  beads  and  calico  for  pearls  and  copra 
— two  cupfuls  of  pearls  for  every  bead.  Anyhow, 
that's  the  way  the  yarn  goes." 

"  I  can't  help  that.     He  was  just  a  common  sailor 

341 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

who  had  run  away  from  his  ship  and  was  gold  min 
ing  in  California.  And  when  he  and  his  partner 
struck  it  rich  father  borrowed  money,  headed  a  com 
pany,  and  bought  them  out.  That  mine  was  the 
Excelsior,  and  it's  just  as  productive  to-day  as  it 
ever  was.  I  rather  think  Atkins  must  be  very  sorry 
he  sold.  I  suppose,  by  right,  I  should  be  very  grate 
ful  to  your  distinguished  representative." 

"  Well,  I  do  declare !  Sho,  sho !  Ain't  that  funny 
now?  He's  never  said  a  word  about  it  at  home. 
I  don't  believe  there's  a  soul  in  Bayport  knows  that. 
We  all  thought  'twas  South  Sea  tradin'  that  boosted 
Heman.  And  your  own  dad!  I  declare,  this  is  a 
small  world !  " 

"  It's  odd  father  never  told  you  about  it.  It's 
one  of  the  old  gentleman's  pet  stories.  He  came 
West  in  1850,  and  was  running  a  little  shipping 
store  in  'Frisco.  He  met  Atkins  and  the  other  young 
sailor,  his  partner,  before  they  left  their  ship.  They 
were  in  the  store,  buying  various  things,  and  father 
got  to  know  them  pretty  well.  Then  they  ran  away 
to  the  diggings — you  simply  couldn't  keep  a  crew 
in  those  times — and  he  didn't  see  them  again  for  a 
good  while.  Then  they  came  in  one  day  and  showed 
him  specimens  from  a  claim  they  had  back  in  the 
mountains.  They  were  mighty  good  specimens,  and 
what  they  said  about  the  claim  convinced  father  that 
they  had  a  valuable  property.  So  he  went  to  see 
a  few  well-to-do  friends  of  his,  and  the  outcome  was 

342 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

that  a  party  was  made  up  to  go  and  inspect.  The 
young  fellows  were  willing  to  sell  out,  for  it  was  a 
quartz  working  and  they  hadn't  the  money  to  carry 
it  on. 

"  The  inspection  showed  that  the  claim  was  likely 
to  be  even  better  than  they  thought,  so,  after  some 
bargaining,  the  deal  was  completed.  They  sold  out 
for  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  and  it  was  the  best 
trade  father  ever  made.  He's  so  proud  of  his  judg 
ment  and  foresight  in  making  it  that  I  wonder  he 
never  told  you  the  story." 

"  He  never  did.    When  was  this?  " 

"In '54.     What?" 

"  I  didn't  speak.  The  date  seemed  kind  of  fa 
miliar  to  me,  that's  all.  Seem's  as  if  I  heard  it 
recent,  but  I  can't  remember  when.  Seventy-five 
thousand,  hey?  Well,  that  wan't  so  bad,  was  it? 
With  that  for  a  nest  egg,  no  wonder  Heman's 
managed  to  hatch  a  pretty  respectable  brood  of 
dollars." 

"  Oh,  the  whole  seventy-five  wasn't  his,  of 
course.  Half  belonged  to  his  partner.  But  the 
poor  devil  didn't  live  to  enjoy  it.  After  the  articles 
were  signed  and  before  the  money  was  paid  over,  he 
was  taken  sick  with  a  fever  and  died." 

"  Hey?     He  died?     With  a  f evert" 

'  Yes.  But  he  left  a  pretty  good  legacy  to  his 
heirs,  didn't  he.  For  a  common  sailor — or  second 
mate;  I  believe  that's  what  he  was — thirty-seven 

343 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

thousand  five  hundred  is  doing  well.  It  must  have 
come  as  a  big  surprise  to  them.  The  whole  sum  was 
paid  to  Atkins,  who —  What's  the  matter  with 
you?" 

Captain  Cy  was  leaning  back  in  his  chair.  He  was 
as  white  as  the  tablecloth. 

"Are  you  ill?"  asked  the  congressman  anxiously. 
"  Take  some  water.  Shall  I  call " 

The  captain  waved  his  hand. 

"  No,  no !  "  he  stammered.  "  No !  I'm  all  right. 
Do  you — for  the  Lord's  sake  tell  me  this!  What 
was  the  name  of  this  partner  that  died?  " 

Mr.  Everdean  looked  curiously  at  his  friend  be 
fore  he  answered. 

"Sure  you're  not  sick?"  he  asked.  "Well,  all 
right.  The  partner's  name?  Why,  I've  heard  it 
often  enough.  It's  on  the  deed  of  sale  that  father 
has  framed  in  his  room  at  home.  The  old  gentleman 
is  as  proud  of  that  as  anything  in  the  house.  The 
name  was — was " 

"  For  God  sakes,"  cried  Captain  Cy,  "  don't  say 
'twas  John  Thayer!  'Cause  if  you  do  I  shan't  be 
lieve  it." 

"  That's  what  it  was — John  Thayer.  How  did 
you  guess?  Did  you  know  him?  I  remember  now 
that  he  was  another  Down  Easter,  like  Atkins." 

The  captain  did  not  answer.  He  clasped  his 
forehead  with  both  hands  and  leaned  his  elbows  on 
the  table.  Everdean  was  plainly  alarmed. 

344 


"'Set  still!'   he  ordered.      'Set  still,  I  tell  you!'" 


CONGRESSMAN    EVERDEAN 

"  I'm  going  to  call  a  doctor,"  he  began,  rising. 
But  Captain  Cy  waved  him  back  again. 

"  Set  still!  "  he  ordered.  "  Set  still,  I  tell  you! 
You  say  the  whole  seventy-five  thousand  was  paid  to 
Heman,  but  that  John  Thayer  signed  the  bill  of  sale 
afore  he  died,  as  half  partner?  And  your  dad's  got 
the  original  deed  and — and — he  remembers  the 
whole  business?  " 

"  Yes,  he's  got  the  deed — framed.  It's  on  record, 
too,  of  course.  Remembers?  I  should  say  he  did! 
He'll  talk  for  a  week  on  that  subject,  if  you  give  him 
a  chance." 

The  captain  sprang  to  his  feet.  His  chair  tipped 
backward  and  fell  to  the  floor.  An  obsequious  waiter 
ran  to  right  it,  but  Captain  Cy  paid  no  attention  to 
him. 

"Where's  my  coat?"  he  demanded.  "Where's 
my  coat  and  hat  ?  " 

"What  ails  you?"  asked  Everdean.  "Are  you 
going  crazy?" 

"  Coin'  crazy?  No,  no!  I'm  goin'  to  California. 
When's  the  next  train?  " 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   TOPPLING   OF   A   MONUMENT 

THE  Honorable  Heman  Atkins  sat  in  the  li 
brary  of  his  (Washington  home,  before  a 
snapping  log  fire,  reading  a  letter.  Mr.  At 
kins  had,  as  he  would  have  expressed  it,  "  served  his 
people  "  in  Congress  for  so  many  years  that  he  had 
long  since  passed  the  hotel  stage  of  living  at  the 
Capital.  He  rented  a  furnished  house  on  an  emi 
nently  respectable  street,  and  the  polished  doorplate 
bore  his  name  in  uncompromising  characters. 

The  library  furniture  was  solid  and  dignified.  Its 
businesslike  appearance  impressed  the  stray  excursion 
ist  from  the  Atkins  district,  when  he  or  she  visited 
the  great  man  in  whose  affairs  we  felt  such  a  per 
sonal  interest.  Particularly  impressive  and  signifi 
cant  was  a  map  of  the  district  hanging  over  the  con 
gressman's  desk,  and  an  oil  painting  of  the  Atkins 
mansion  at  Bayport,  which,  with  the  iron  dogs  and 
urns  conspicuous  in  its  foreground,  occupied  the  mid 
dle  of  the  largest  wall  space. 

The  cheery  fire  was  very  comforting  on  a  night 
like  this,  for  the  sleet  was  driving  against  the  win- 

346 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

dowpanes,  the  sidewalks  were  ankle  deep  in  slush, 
and  the  wet,  cold  wind  from  the  Potomac  was  whis 
tling  down  the  street.  Somewhere  about  the  house 
an  unfastened  shutter  slammed  in  the  gusts.  Mr. 
Atkins  should  have  been  extremely  comfortable  as 
he  sat  there  by  the  fire.  He  had  spent  many  com 
fortable  winters  in  that  room.  But  now  there  was  a 
frown  on  his  face  as  he  read  the  letter  in  his  hand. 
It  was  from  Simpson,  and  stated,  among  other  things, 
that  Cyrus  Whittaker  had  been  absent  from  Bayport 
for  over  two  weeks,  and  that  no  one  seemed  to  know 
where  he  had  gone.  "  The  idea  seems  to  be  that 
he  started  for  Washington,"  wrote  Tad;  "but  if 
that  is  so,  it  is  queer  you  haven't  seen  him.  I  am 
suspicious  that  he  is  up  to  something  about  that 
harbor  business.  I  should  keep  my  eye  peeled  if  I 
was  you." 

Alicia,  the  Atkins  hopeful,  rustled  into  the  room. 

"  Papa,"  she  said,  "  I've  come  to  kiss  you  good 
night." 

Her  father  performed  the  ceremony  in  a  per 
functory  way. 

"  All  right,  all  right,"  he  said.  "  Now  run  along 
to  bed  and  don't  bother  me,  there's  a  good  girl.  I 
wish,"  he  added  testily  to  the  housekeeper  who  had 
followed  Alicia  into  the  room,  "  I  wish  you'd  see 
to  that  loose  blind.  It  makes  me  nervous.  Such 
things  as  that  should  be  attended  to  without  specific 
orders  from  me." 

347 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  housekeeper  promised  to  attend  to  the  blind. 
She  and  the  girl  left  the  library.  Heman  reread  the 
Simpson  letter.  Then  he  dropped  it  in  his  lap  and 
sat  thinking  and  twirling  his  eyeglasses  at  the  end 
of  their  black  cord.  His  thoughts  seemed  to  be  not 
of  the  pleasantest.  The  lines  about  his  mouth  had 
deepened  during  the  last  few  months.  He  looked 
older. 

The  telephone  bell  rang  sharply.  Mr.  Atkins 
came  out  of  his  reverie  with  a  start,  arose  and  walked 
across  the  room  to  the  wall  where  the  instrument 
hung.  It  was  before  the  days  of  the  convenient 
desk  'phone.  He  took  the  receiver  from  its  hook  and 
spoke  into  the  transmitter. 

"Hello!"  he  said.  "Hello!  Yes,  yes!  stop 
ringing.  What  is  it?  " 

The  wire  buzzed  and  purred  in  the  storm. 
"  Hello !  "  said  a  voice.  "  Hello,  there !  Is  this  Mr. 
Atkins's  house?" 

"  Yes ;  it  is.    What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Hey?  Is  this  where  the  Honorable  Heman  At 
kins  lives?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  tell  you  1  This  is  Mr.  Atkins  speak 
ing.  What  do  you  want?  " 

"  Oh !  is  that  you,  Heman  ?  This  is  Whittaker — 
Cy  Whittaker.  Understand?" 

Mr.  Atkins  understood.  Yet  for  an  instant  he 
did  not  reply.  He  had  been  thinking,  as  he  sat  by 
the  fire,  of  certain  persons  and  certain  ugly,  though 

348 


THE   TOPPLING   OF   A    MONUMENT 

remote,  possibilities.  Now,  from  a  mysterious 
somewhere,  one  of  those  persons  was  speaking  to 
him.  The  hand  holding  the  receiver  shook  mo 
mentarily. 

"Hello!  I  say,  Heman,  do  you  understand? 
This  is  Whittaker  talkin'." 

"  I — er — understand,"  said  the  congressman,  slow 
ly.  "Well,  sir?" 

"  I'm  here  in  Washin'ton." 

"  I  have  been  informed  that  you  were  in  the  city. 
Well,  sir?" 

"Oh!  knew  I  was  here,  did  you?  Is  that  so? 
Who  told  you?  Tad  wrote,  I  suppose,  hey?  " 

The  congressman  did  not  reply  immediately.  This 
man,  whom  he  disliked  more  than  anyone  else  in  the 
world,  had  an  irritating  faculty  of  putting  his 
finger  on  the  truth.  And  the  flippancy  in  the  tone 
was  maddening.  Mr.  Atkins  was  not  used  to  flip 
pancy. 

"  I  believe  I  am  not  called  upon  to  disclose  my 
source  of  information,"  he  said  with  chilling  dignity. 
"  It  appears  to  have  been  trustworthy.  I  presume 
you  have  'phoned  me  concerning  the  appropriation 
matter.  I  do  not  recognize  your  right  to  intrude 
in  that  affair,  and  I  shall  decline  to  discuss  it.  Yes, 
sir.  To  my  people,  to  those  who  have  a  right  to 
question,  I  am  and  shall  always  be  willing  to  explain 
my  position.  Good  night." 

"Wait!     Hello!     Hold  on  a  minute.     Don't  get 

349 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

mad,  Heman.  I  only  wanted  to  say  just  a  word. 
You'll  let  me  say  a  word,  won't  you?  " 

This  was  more  like  it.  This  was  more  nearly  the 
tone  in  which  Mr.  Atkins  was  wont  to  be  addressed. 
It  was  possible  that  the  man,  recognizing  the  use- 
lessness  of  further  opposition,  desired  to  surrender. 

"  I  cannot,"  declared  the  Honorable,  "  understand 
why  you  should  wish  to  speak  with  me.  We  have 
very  little  in  common,  very  little,  I'm  thankful  to  say. 
However,  I  will  hear  you  briefly.  Go  on." 

"  Much  obliged.  Well,  Heman,  I  only  wanted 
to  say  that  I  thought  maybe  you'd  better  have  a  little 
talk  with  me.  I'm  here  at  the  hotel,  the  Regent. 
You  know  where  'tis,  I  presume  likely.  I  guess  you'd 
better  come  right  down  and  see  me." 

Heman  gasped,  actually  gasped,  with  astonish 
ment. 

"  /  had  better  come  and  see  you  ?  I  —  !  Well,  sir  ! 
I  am  not  accustomed  -  " 


"  I  know,  but  I  think  you'd  better.  It's  dirty 
weather,  and  I've  got  cold  somehow  or  other.  I  ain't 
feelin'  quite  up  to  the  mark,  so  I  cal'late  I'll  stay  in 
port  much  as  I  can.  You  come  right  down.  I'll  be 
in  my  room,  and  the  hotel  folks  '11  tell  you  where  'tis. 
I'll  be  waitin'  for  you." 

Mr.  Atkins  breathed  hard.  In  his  present  frame 
of  mind  he  would  have  liked  to  deliver  a  blast  into 
that  transmitter  which  would  cause  the  person  at  the 
other  end  of  the  line  to  shrivel  under  its  heat.  But 

350 


THE   TOPPLING   OF   A    MONUMENT 

he  was  a  politician  of  long  training,  and  he  knew 
that  such  blasts  were  sometimes  expensive  treats.  It 
might  be  well  to  hear  what  his  enemy  had  to  say. 
But  as  to  going  to  see  him — that  was  out  of  the 
question. 

"  I  do  not,"  he  thundered,  "  I  do  not  care  to  con 
tinue  this  conversation.  If — if  you  wish  to  see  me, 
after  what  has  taken  place  between  us,  I  am  willing, 
in  spite  of  personal  repugnance,  to  grant  you  a  brief 
interview.  My  servants  will  admit  you  here  at  nine 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning.  But  I  tell  you  now, 
that  your  interference  with  this  appropriation  matter 
is  as  useless  as  it  is  ridiculous  and  impudent.  It  is 
of  a  piece  with  the  rest  of  your  conduct." 

"  All  right,  Heman,  all  right,"  was  the  calm  an 
swer.  u  I  don't  say  you've  got  to  come.  I  only  say 
I  guess  you'd  better.  I'm  goin'  back  to  Bayport  to- 
morrer,  early.  And  if  I  was  you  I'd  come  and  see 
me  to-night." 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  see  you.  Nor  do  I  care  to 
talk  with  you  further.  That  appropriation " 

"  Maybe  it  ain't  all  appropriation." 

'  Then  I  cannot  understand " 

"  I  know,  but  /  understand.  I've  come  to  under 
stand  consider'ble  many  things  in  the  last  fortni't. 
There !  I  can't  holler  into  this  machine  any  longer. 
I've  been  clear  out  to  'Frisco  and  back  in  eleven 

days,  and  I  got  cold  in  those  blessed  sleepin'  cars. 
j » 

25  351 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

The  receiver  fell  from  the  congressman's  hand.  It 
was  a  difficult  object  to  pick  up  again.  Heman 
groped  for  it  in  a  blind,  strangely  inadequate  way. 
Yet  he  wished  to  recover  it  very  much. 

"  Wait !  wait  I  "  he  shouted  anxiously.  "  I — I — I 
dropped  the —  Are  you  there,  Whittaker?  Are 
you —  Oh!  yes!  I  didn't —  Did  you  say — er — 
'Frisco?" 

"  Yes,  San  Francisco,  California.  I've  been  West 
on  a  little  cruise.  Had  an  interestin'  time.  It's  an 
interestin'  place;  don't  you  think  so?  Well,  I'm 
sorry  you  can't  come.  Good  night." 

"  Wait !  "  faltered  the  great  man.  "  I — I — let 
me  think,  Cyrus.  I  do  not  wish  to  seem — er — arro 
gant  in  this  matter.  It  is  not  usual  for  me  to  visit 
my  constituents,  but — but — I  have  no  engagement 
this  evening,  and  you  are  not  well,  and —  Hello! 
are  you  there?  Hello!  Why,  under  the  circum 
stances,  I  think —  Yes,  I  will  come.  I'll  come — er 
— at  once." 

The  telephone  enables  one  to  procure  a  cab  in 
a  short  time.  Yet,  to  Heman  Atkins,  that  cab  was 
years  in  coming.  He  paced  the  library  floor,  his 
hand  to  his  forehead  and  his  brain  whirling.  It 
couldn't  be !  It  must  be  a  coincidence !  He  had 
been  an  idiot  to  display  his  agitation  and  surrender 
so  weakly.  And  yet — and  yet 

The  ride  through  the  storm  to  the  Regent  Hotel 
gave  him  opportunity  for  more  thought.  But  he 

352 


"The  receiver  fell  from  the  congressman's  hand." 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

gained  little  comfort  from  thinking.  If  it  was  a 
coincidence,  well  and  good.  If  not 

A  bell  boy  conducted  him  to  the  Whittaker  room 
"  on  the  saloon  deck."  It  was  a  small  room,  very 
different  from  the  Atkins  library,  and  Captain  Cy, 
in  a  cane-seated  chair,  was  huddled  close  to  the  steam 
radiator.  He  looked  far  from  well. 

"  Evenin',  Heman,"  he  said  as  the  congressman 
entered.  "  Pretty  dirty  night,  ain't  it?  What  we'd 
call  a  gray  no'theaster  back  home.  Sit  down.  Don't 
mind  my  not  gettin'  up.  This  heatin'  arrangement 
feels  mighty  comf'table  just  now.  If  I  get  too  far 
away  from  it  I  shiver  my  deck  planks  loose.  Take 
off  your  things." 

Mr.  Atkins  did  not  remove  his  overcoat.  His 
hat  he  tossed  on  the  bed.  He  glanced  fearfully  at 
his  companion.  The  latter's  greeting  had  been  so 
casual  and  everyday  that  he  took  courage.  And  the 
captain  looked  anything  but  formidable  as  he  hugged 
the  radiator.  Perhaps  things  were  not  so  bad  as  he 
had  feared.  He  resolved  not  to  seem  alarmed,  at  all 
events. 

"Have  a  cigar,  Heman?"  said  Captain  Cy. 
"  No?  Well,  all  right;  I  will,  if  you  don't  mind." 

He  lit  the  cigar.  The  congressman  cleared  his 
throat. 

"  Cyrus,"  he  said,  "  I  am  not  accustomed  to  run 
at  the  beck  and  call  of  my — er — acquaintances,  but, 
even  though  we  have  disagreed  of  late,  even  though 

353 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

to  me  your  conduct  seems  quite  unjustifiable,  still, 
for  the  sake  of  our  boyhood  friendship,  and,  because 
you  are  not  well,  I — er — came." 

Captain  Cy  coughed  spasmodically,  a  cough  that 
seemed  to  be  tearing  him  to  pieces.  He  looked  at  his 
cigar  regretfully,  and  laid  it  on  the  top  of  the  radi 
ator. 

'  Too  bad,"  he  observed.  "  Tobacco  gen'rally 
iles  up  my  talkin'  machinery,  but  just  now  it  seems 
to  make  me  bark  like  a  ship's  dog  shut  up  in  the  hold. 
Why,  yes,  Heman,  I  see  you've  come.  Much 
obliged  to  you." 

This  politeness  was  still  more  encouraging.  At 
kins  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  crossed  his  legs. 

"  I  presume,"  he  said,  "  that  you  wish  to  ask  con 
cerning  the  appropriation.  I  regret " 

'  You  needn't.  I  guess  we'll  get  the  appropria 
tion." 

Heman's  condescension  vanished.  He  leaned  for 
ward  and  uncrossed  his  legs. 

"Indeed?"  he  said  slowly,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
captain's  placid  face. 

"  Yes— indeed." 

"  Whittaker,  what  are  you  talking  about?  Do 
you  suppose  that  I  have  been  the  representative  of 
my  people  in  Congress  all  these  years  without  know 
ing  whereof  I  speak?  They  left  the  matter  in  my 
hands,  and  your  interference " 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  interfere.     I'm  goin'  to  leave  it 

354 


in  your  hands,  too.  And  I  cal'late  you'll  be  able 
to  find  a  way  to  get  it.  Um — hum,  I  guess  likely 
you  will." 

The  visitor  rose  to  his  feet.  The  time  had 
come  for  another  blast  from  Olympus.  He  raised 
the  mighty  right  arm.  -But  Captain  Cy  spoke 
first. 

"  Sit  down,  Heman,"  said  the  captain  quietly. 
"  Sit  down.  This  ain't  town  meetin'.  Never  mind 
the  appropriation  now.  There's  other  matters  to  be 
talked  about  first.  Sit  down,  I  tell  you." 

Mr.  Atkins  was  purple  in  the  face,  but  he  sat 
down.  The  captain  coughed  again. 

"  Heman,"  he  began  when  the  spasm  was  over, 
"  I  asked  you  to  come  here  to-night  for — well,  blessed 
if  I  know  exactly.  It  didn't  make  much  difference  to 
me  whether  you  came  or  not." 

'  Then,  sir,  I  must  say  that,  of  all  the  impu 
dent " 

"  S-s-h-h!  for  the  land  sakes!  Speechmakin'  must 
be  as  bad  as  the  rum  habit,  when  a  feller's  got  it 
chronic  as  you  have.  No,  it  didn't  make  much  differ 
ence  to  me  whether  you  came  or  not.  But,  honest, 
you've  got  to  be  a  kind  of  Bunker  Hill  monument 
to  the  folks  back  home.  They  kneel  down  at  your 
foundations  and  look  up  at  you,  and  tell  each  other 
how  many  foot  high  you  are,  and  what  it  cost  to 
build  you,  and  how  you  stand  for  patriotism  and 
purity,  till — well,  /  couldn't  see  you  tumble  down 

355 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

without  givin'  you  a  chance.  I  couldn't;  'twould 
be  like  blowin'  up  a  church." 

The  purple  had  left  the  Atkins  face,  but  the 
speechmaking  habit  is  not  likely  to  be  broken. 

"  Cyrus  Whittaker,"  he  stammered,  "  have  you 
been  drinking?  Your  language  to  me  is  abomina 
ble.  Why  I  permit  myself  to  remain  here  and  listen 
to  such— 

"  If  you'll  keep  still  I'll  tell  you  why.  And,  if 
I  was  you,  I  wouldn't  be  too  anxious  to  find  out. 
This  everlastin'  cold  don't  make  me  over  'n'  above 
good-tempered,  and  when  I  think  of  what  you've 
done  to  that  little  girl,  or  what  you  tried  to  do, 
I  have  to  hold  myself  down  tight,  tight,  and  don't 
you  forget  it !  Now,  you  keep  quiet  and  listen.  It'll 
be  best  for  you,  Heman.  Your  cards  ain't  under  the 
table  any  longer.  I've  seen  your  hand,  and  I  know 
why  you've  been  playin'  it.  I  know  the  whole  game. 
I've  been  West,  and  Everdean  and  I  have  had  a 
talk." 

Mr.  Atkins  had  again  risen  from  the  chair.  Now 
he  fell  heavily  back  into  it.  His  lips  moved  as  if 
he  meant  to  speak,  but  he  did  not.  At  the  mention 
of  the  Everdean  name  he  made  a  queer,  choking 
sound  in  his  throat. 

"  I  know  the  whole  business,  Heman,"  went  on 
the  captain.  "  I  know  why  you  was  so  knocked  over 
when  you  learned  who  Bos'n  was,  the  night  of  the 
party.  I  know  why  you  took  up  with  that  black- 

356 


THE    TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

guard,  Thomas,  and  why  you've  spent  your  good 
money  hirin'  lawyers  for  him.  I  know  about  the 
mine.  I  know  the  whole  thing  from  first  to  last. 
Shall  I  tell  you?  Do  you  want  to  hear  it?  " 

The  great  man  did  not  answer.  A  drop  of  per 
spiration  shone  on  his  high  forehead,  and  the  veins 
of  his  big,  white  hands  stood  out  as  he  clutched  the 
arms  of  his  chair.  The  monument  was  tottering  on 
its  base. 

"  It's  a  dirty  mess,  the  whole  of  it,"  continued 
Captain  Cy.  "  And  yet,  I  can  see — I  suppose  I  can 
see  some  excuse  for  you  at  the  beginnin'.  When  old 
man  Everdean  and  his  crowd  bought  you  and  John 
Thayer  out,  'way  back  there  in  '54,  after  John  died, 
and  all  the  money  was  put  into  your  hands,  I  cal- 
'late  you  was  honest  then.  I  wouldn't  wonder  if 
you  meant  to  hand  over  the  thirty-seven  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars  to  your  partner's  widow.  But  'twas 
harder  and  more  risky  to  send  money  East  in  them 
days  than  'tis  now,  and  so  you  waited,  thinkin'  may 
be  that  you'd  fetch  it  to  Emily  when  you  come  your 
self.  But  you  didn't  come  home  for  some  years; 
you  went  tradin'  down  along  the  Feejees  and  around 
that  way.  That's  how  I  reasoned  it  out  these  last 
few  days  on  the  train.  I  give  you  credit  for  bein' 
honest  first  along, 

"  But  never  mind  whether  you  was  or  not,  you 
haven't  been  since.  You  never  paid  over  a  cent  of 
that  poor  feller's  money — honest  money,  that  be- 

357 


CY    WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

longed  to  his  heirs,  and  belongs  to  'em  now.  You've 
hung  onto  it,  stole  it,  used  it  for  yours.  And  Emily 
worked  and  scratched  for  a  livin'  and  died  poor. 
And  Mary,  she  died,  after  bein'  abused  and  deserted 
by  that  cussed  husband  of  hers.  And  you  thought 
you  was  safe,  I  cal'late.  And  then  Bos'n  turns  up 
right  in  your  own  town,  right  acrost  the  road  from 
you!  By  the  big  dipper!  it's  enough  to  make  a 
feller  believe  that  the  Almighty  does  take  a  hand 
in  straightenin'  out  such  things,  when  us  humans 
bungle  'em — it  is  so ! 

"  Course  I  ain't  sure,  Heman,  what  you  meant 
to  do  when  you  found  that  the  child  you'd  stole  that 
money  from  was  goin'  to  be  under  your  face  and  eyes 
till  you  or  she  died.  I  cal'late  you  was  afraid  I'd 
find  somethin'  out,  wan't  you?  I  presume  likely 
you  thought  that  I,  not  havin'  quite  the  reverence  for 
you  that  the  rest  of  the  Bayporters  have,  might  be 
sharp  enough  or  lucky  enough  to  smell  a  rat.  Per 
haps  you  suspicioned  that  I  knew  the  Everdeans. 
Anyhow,  you  wanted  to  get  the  child  as  fur  out  of 
your  sight  and  out  of  my  hands  as  you  could — ain't 
that  so?  And  when  her  dad  turned  up,  you  thought 
you  saw  your  chance.  Heman,  you  answer  me  this: 
Ain't  it  part  of  your  bargain  with  Thomas  that  when 
he  gets  his  little  girl,  he  shall  take  her  and  clear  out, 
away  off  somevvheres,  for  good?  Ain't  it,  now — 
what?" 

The  monument  was  swaying,  was  swinging  from 
358 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

side  to  side,  but  it  did  not  quite  fall — not  then.  The 
congressman's  cheeks  hung  flabby,  his  forehead  was 
wet,  and  he  shook  from  head  to  foot ;  but  he  clenched 
his  jaws  and  made  one  last  attempt  at  defiance. 

"  I — I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  he  declared. 
"  You — you  seem  to  be  accusing  me  of  something. 
Of  stealing,  I  believe.  Do  you  understand  who  I 
am?  I  have  some  influence  and  reputation,  and  it 
is  dangerous  to — to  try  to  frighten  me.  Proofs  are 
required  in  law,  and " 

"  S-s-h-h!  You  know  I've  got  the  proofs.  They 
were  easy  enough  to  get,  once  I  happened  on  the 
track  of  'em.  Lord  sakes,  Heman,  I  ain't  a  fool! 
What's  the  use  of  your  pretendin'  to  be  one? 
There's  the  deed  out  in  'Frisco,  with  yours  and 
John's  name  on  it.  There's  the  records  to  prove 
the  sale.  There's  the  receipt  for  the  seventy- 
five  thousand  signed  by  you,  on  behalf  of  your 
self  and  your  partner's  widow.  There's  old 
man  Everdean  alive  and  competent  to  testify. 
There's  John  Thayer's  will  on  file  over  to  Orham. 
Proofs!  Why,  you  thief  I  if  it's  proofs  you 
want,  I've  got  enough  to  send  you  to  state's 
prison  for  the  rest  of  your  life.  Don't  you  dare  say 
'proofs'  to  me  again!  Heman  Atkins,  you  owe 
me,  as  Bos'n's  guardian,  thirty-seven  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars,  with  interest  since  1854.  What 
you  goin'  to  do  about  it?" 

Here  was  one  ray,  a  feeble  ray,  of  light. 
359 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

"  You're  not  her  guardian,"  cried  Atkins.  "  The 
courts  have  thrown  you  out.  And  your  appeal  won't 
stand,  either.  If  any  money  is  due,  it  belongs  to 
her  father.  She  isn't  of  age!  No,  sir!  her 
father " 

Captain  Cy's  patience  had  been  giving  way.  Now 
he  lost  it  altogether.  He  strode  across  the  room  and 
shook  his  forefinger  in  his  victim's  face. 

"  So  !"  he  cried.  "  That's  your  tack,  is  it?  By  the 
big  dipper!  You  go  to  her  father — just  you  go  to 
him  and  tell  him !  Just  hint  to  him  that  you  o\ve 
his  daughter  thirty-odd  thousand  dollars,  and  see 
what  he'll  do.  Good  heavens  above !  he  was  ready 
to  sell  her  out  to  me  for  fifty  dollars'  wuth  of  sand 
bank  in  Orham.  Almost  ready,  he  was,  till  you  of 
fered  a  higher  price  to  him  to  fight.  Why,  he'll 
have  your  hide  nailed  up  on  the  barn  door!  If 
you  don't  pay  him  every  red  copper,  down  on  the 
nail,  he'll  wring  you  dry.  And  then  he'll  blackmail 
you  forever  and  ever,  amen !  Unless,  of  course,  / 
go  home  and  stop  the  blackmail  by  printing  my  story 
in  the  Breeze.  I've  a  precious  good  mind  to  do  it. 
By  the  Almighty,  I  luill  do  it!  unless  you  come  off 
that  high  horse  of  yours  and  talk  like  a  man." 

And  then  the  monument  fell,  fell  prostrate,  with 
a  sickly,  pitiful  crash.  If  we  of  Bayport  could  have 
seen  our  congressman  then !  The  great  man,  great 
no  longer,  broke  down  completely.  He  cried  like 
a  baby.  It  was  all  true — all  true.  He  had  not 

360 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

meant  to  steal,  at  first.  He  had  been  led  into  using 
the  money  in  his  business.  Then  he  had  meant  to 
send  it  to  the  heirs,  but  he  didn't  know  their  where 
abouts.  Captain  Cy  smiled  at  this  excuse.  And 
now  he  couldn't  pay — he  couldn't.  He  had  hardly 
that  sum  in  the  world.  He  had  lost  money  in  stocks ; 
his  property  in  the  South  had  gone  to  the  bad!  He 
would  be  ruined.  He  would  have  to  go  to  prison. 
He  was  getting  to  be  an  old  man.  And  there  was 
Alicia,  his  daughter!  Think  of  her!  Think  of 
the  disgrace !  And  so  on,  over  and  over,  with  the 
one  recurring  burden — what  was  the  captain  going 
to  do?  what  was  he  going  to  do?  It  was  a  misera 
ble,  dreadful  exhibition,  and  Captain  Cy  could  feel 
no  pride  in  his  triumph. 

'  There !  there  !  "  he  said  at  last.  "  Stop  it,  man; 
stop  it,  for  goodness  sakes!  Pull  yourself  together. 
I  guess  we  can  fix  it  up  somehow.  I  ain't  goin'  to 
be  too  hard  on  you.  If  it  wan't  for  your  meanness 
in  bein'  willin'  to  let  Bos'n  suffer  her  life  long  with 
that  drunken  beast  of  a  dad  of  hers,  I'd  feel  almost 
like  tellin'  you  to  get  up  and  forget  it.  But  that's 
got  to  be  stopped.  Now,  you  listen  to  me." 

Heman  listened.  He  was  on  his  knees  beside  the 
bed,  his  face  buried  in  his  arms,  and  his  gray  hair, 
the  leonine  Atkins  hair,  which  he  was  wont  to  toss 
backward  in  the  heated  periods  of  his  eloquence, 
tumbled  and  draggled.  Captain  Cy  looked  down  at 
him. 

361 


"  This  whole  business  about  Bos'n  must  be 
stopped,"  he  said,  "  and  stopped  right  off.  You  tell 
your  lawyers  to  drop  the  case.  Her  dad  is  only 
hangin'  around  because  you  pay  him  to.  He  don't 
want  her;  he  don't  care  what  becomes  of  her.  If 
you  pay  him  enough,  he'll  go,  won't  he?  and  not 
come  back?  " 

The  congressman  raised  his  head. 

"  Why,  yes,"  he  faltered;  "  I  think  he  will.  Yes, 
I  think  I  could  arrange  that.  But,  Cyrus " 

The  captain  held  up  his  hand. 

"  I  intend  to  look  out  for  Bos'n,"  he  said.  "  She 
cares  for  me  more'n  anyone  else  in  the  world.  She's 
as  much  to  me  as  my  own  child  ever  could  be,  and 
I'll  see  that  she  is  happy  and  provided  for.  I'm 
religious  enough  to  believe  she  was  sent  to  me,  and 
I  intend  to  stick  to  my  trust.  As  for  the  money " 

"  Yes,  yes !    The  money?  " 

"  Well,  I  won't  be  too  hard  on  you  that  way, 
either.  We'll  talk  that  over  later  on.  Maybe  we 
can  arrange  for  you  to  pay  it  a  little  at  a  time.  You 
can  sign  a  paper  showin'  that  you  owe  it,  and  we'll 
fix  the  payin'  to  suit  all  hands.  'Tain't  as  if  the 
child  was  in  want.  I've  got  some  money  of  my  own, 
and  what's  mine's  hers.  I  think  we  needn't  worry 
about  the  money  part." 

"  God  bless  you,  Cyrus!     I " 

"  Yes,  all  right.  I'm  sure  your  askin'  for  the  bless- 
in'  '11  be  a  great  help.  Now,  you  do  your  part, 

362 


"  He  was  on  his  knees  beside  the  bed,  his  face  buried  in 
his  arms." 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A    MONUMENT 

and  I'll  do  mine.  No  one  knows  of  this  business 
but  me.  I  didn't  tell  Everdean  a  word.  He  don't 
know  why  I  hustled  out  there  and  back,  nor  why  I 
asked  so  many  questions.  And  he  ain't  the  kind 
to  pry  into  what  don't  concern  him.  So  you're 
pretty  safe,  I  cal'late.  Now,  if  you  don't  mind, 
I  wish  you'd  run  along  home.  I'm — I'm  used  up, 
sort  of." 

Mr.  Atkins  arose  from  his  knees.  Even  then, 
broken  as  he  was — he  looked  ten  years  older  than 
when  he  entered  the  room — he  could  hardly  believe 
what  he  had  just  heard. 

"  You  mean,"  he  faltered,  "  Cyrus,  do  you  mean 

that — that  you're  not  going  to  reveal  this — this " 

'  That  I'm  not  goin'  to  tell  on  you?  Yup;  that's 
wrhat  I  mean.  You  get  rid  of  Thomas  and  squelch 
that  law  case,  and  I'll  keep  mum.  You  can  trust  me 
for  that." 

"But — but,  Cyrus,  the  people  at  home?  Your 
story  in  the  Breeze!  You're  not " 

;'  No,  they  needn't  know,  either.  It'll  be  between 
you  and  me." 

"  God  bless  you !     I'll  never  forget " 

'  That's  right.  You  mustn't.  Forgettin'  is  the 
one  thing  you  mustn't  do.  And,  see  here,  you're 
boss  of  the  political  fleet  in  Bayport;  you  steer  the 
school  committee  now.  Phoebe  Dawes  ain't  too 
popular  with  that  committee;  I'd  see  that  she  was 
popularized." 

26  363 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

'  Yes,  yes;  she  shall  be.  She  shall  not  be  disturbed. 
Is  there  anything  else  I  can  do?  " 

;<  Why,  yes,  I  guess  there  is.  Speakin'  of  popular 
ity  made  me  think  of  it.  That  harbor  appropriation 
had  better  go  through." 

A  very  faint  tinge  of  color  came  into  the  congress 
man's  chalky  face.  He  hesitated  in  his  reply. 

"  I — I  don't  know  about  that,  Cyrus,"  he  said. 
'  The  bill  will  probably  be  voted  on  in  a  few  days. 
It  is  made  up  and " 

'  Then  I'd  strain  a  p'int  and  make  it  over.  I'd 
work  real  hard  on  it.  I'm  sorry  about  that  sugar 
river,  but  I  cal'late  Bayport  '11  have  to  come  first. 
Yes,  it'll  have  to,  Heman;  it  sartin  will." 

The  reference  to  the  "  sugar  river  "  was  the  final 
straw.  Evidently  this  man  knew  everything. 

"  I— I'll  try  my  best,"  affirmed  Heman.  "  Thank 
you,  Cyrus.  You  have  been  more  merciful  than  I  had 
a  right  to  expect." 

"  Yes,  I  guess  I  have.  Why  do  I  do  it?  "  He 
smiled  and  shook  his  head.  "  Well,  I  don't  know. 
For  two  reasons,  maybe.  First,  I'd  hate  to  be  re 
sponsible  for  tippin'  over  such  a  sky-towerin'  idol  as 
you've  been  to  make  ruins  for  Angie  Phinney  and 
the  other  blackbirds  to  peck  at  and  caw  over.  And 
second — well,  it  does  sound  presumin',  don't  it,  but 
I  kind  of  pity  you.  Say,  Heman,"  he  added  with  a 
chuckle,  "  that's  a  kind  of  distinction,  in  a  way, 
ain't  it?  A  good  many  folks  have  hurrahed  over  you 

364 


THE   TOPPLING    OF   A   MONUMENT 

and  worshipped  you — some  of  'em,  I  guess  likely, 
have  envied  you ;  but,  by  the  big  dipper !  I  do  believe 
I'm  the  only  one  in  this  round  world  that  ever  pitied 
you.  Good-by.  The  elevator's  right  down  the  hall." 

It  required  some  resolution  for  the  Honorable 
Atkins  to  walk  down  that  corridor  and  press  the  ele 
vator  button.  But  he  did  it,  somehow.  A  guest 
came  out  of  one  of  the  rooms  and  approached  him 
as  he  stood  there.  It  was  a  man  he  knew.  Heman 
squared  his  shoulders  and  set  every  nerve  and  mus 
cle. 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Atkins,"  said  the  man.  "  A 
miserable  night,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Miserable,  indeed,"  replied  the  congressman. 
The  strength  in  his  voice  surprised  him.  The  man 
passed  on.  Heman  descended  in  the  elevator, 
walked  steadily  through  the  crowded  lobby  and  out 
to  the  curb  where  his  cab  was  waiting.  The  driver 
noticed  nothing  strange  in  his  fare's  appearance. 
He  noticed  nothing  strange  when  the  Atkins  resi 
dence  was  reached  and  its  tenant  mounted  the  stone 
steps  and  opened  the  door  with  his  latchkey.  But, 
if  he  had  seen  the  dignified  form  collapse  in  a  library 
chair  and  moan  and  rock  back  and  forth  until  the 
morning  hours,  he  would  have  wondered  very  much 
indeed. 

Meanwhile  Captain  Cy,  coughing  and  shivering 
by  the  radiator,  had  been  summoned  from  that  warm 

365 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

haven  by  a  knock  at  his  door.  A  bell  boy  stood  at  the 
threshold,  holding  a  brown  envelope  in  his  hand. 

4  The  clerk  sent  this  up  to  you,  sir,"  he  said. 
"  It  came  a  week  ago.  When  you  went  away,  you 
didn't  leave  any  address,  and  whatever  letters  came 
for  you  were  sent  back  to  Bayport,  Massachusetts. 
The  clerk  says  you  registered  from  there,  sir.  But 
he  kept  this  telegram.  It  was  in  your  box,  and  the 
day  clerk  forgot  to  give  it  to  you  this  afternoon." 
The  captain  tore  open  the  envelope.  The  tele 
gram  was  from  his  lawyer,  Mr.  Peabody.  It  was 
dated  a  week  before,  and  read  as  follows: 

"  Come  home  at  once.     Important." 


DIVIDED   HONORS 

THE  blizzard  began  that  night.  Bayport  has 
a  generous  allowance  of  storms  and  gales 
during  a  winter,  although,  as  a  usual  thing, 
there  is  more  rain  than  snow  and  more  wind  than 
either.  But  we  can  count  with  certainty  on  at  least 
one  blizzard  between  November  and  April,  and 
about  the  time  when  Captain  Cy,  feverish  and  ill, 
the  delayed  telegram  in  his  pocket  and  a  great  fear 
in  his  heart,  boarded  the  sleeper  of  the  East-bound 
train  at  Washington,  snow  was  beginning  to  fall  in 
our  village. 

Next  morning,  when  Georgianna  came  downstairs 
to  prepare  Bos'n's  breakfast — the  housekeeper  had 
ceased  to  "  go  home  nights  "  since  the  captain's  ab 
sence — the  world  outside  was  a  tumbled,  driving 
whirl  of  white.  The  woodshed  and  barn,  dimly 
seen  through  the  smother,  were  but  gray  shapes, 
emerging  now  and  then  only  to  be  wiped  from  the 
vision  as  by  a  great  flapping  cloth  wielded  by  the 
mighty  hand  of  the  wind.  The  old  house  shook  in 
the  blasts,  the  windowpanes  rattled  as  if  handfuls 

367 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

of  small  shot  were  being  thrown  against  them,  and 
the  carpet  on  the  floor  of  the  dining  room  puffed 
up  in  miniature  billows. 

School  was  out  of  the  question,  and  Bos'n,  her 
breakfast  eaten,  prepared  to  put  in  a  cozy  day  with 
her  dolls  and  Christmas  playthings. 

'  When  do  you  s'pose  Uncle  Cyrus  will  get 
home?"  she  asked  of  the  housekeeper.  She  had 
asked  the  same  thing  at  least  three  times  a  day  dur 
ing  the  fortnight,  and  Georgianna's  answer  was  al 
ways  just  as  unsatisfactory: 

"  I  don't  know,  dearie,  I'm  sure.  He'll  be  here 
pretty  soon,  though,  don't  you  fret." 

"  Oh,  I  ain't  going  to  fret.  I  know  he'll  come. 
He  said  he  would,  and  Uncle  Cy  always  does  what 
he  says  he  will." 

About  twelve  Asaph  made  his  appearance,  a  white 
statue. 

"  Godfrey  scissors !  "  he  panted,  shaking  his  snow- 
plastered  cap  over  the  coal  hod.  "  Say,  this  is  one 
of  'em,  ain't  it?  Don't  know's  I  ever  see  more  of  a 
one.  Drift  out  by  the  front  fence  pretty  nigh  up  to 
my  waist.  This  '11  be  a  nasty  night  along  the  Orham 
beach.  The  lifesavers'll  have  their  hands  full. 
Whew !  I'm  about  tuckered  out." 

"Been  to  the  post  office?"  asked  Georgianna  in 
a  low  tone. 

"  Yup.  I  been  there.  Mornin'  mail  just  this 
minute  sorted.  Train's  two  hours  late.  Gabe  says 

368 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

more'n  likely  the  evenin'  train  won't  be  able  to  get 
through  at  all,  if  this  keeps  up." 

"  Was  there  anything  from " 

Mr.  Tidditt  glanced  at  Bos'n  and  shook  his  head. 

"Not  a  word,"  he  said.  "Funny,  ain't  it?  It 
don't  seem  a  bit  like  him.  And  he  can't  be  to  Wash- 
in'ton,  because  all  them  letters  came  back.  I — I 
swan  to  man,  I'm  beginnin'  to  get  worried." 

"Worried?  I'm  pretty  nigh  crazy!  What  does 
Phoebe  Dawes  say?  " 

"  She  don't  say  much.  It's  pretty  tough,  when 
everything  else  is  workin'  out  so  fine,  thanks  to 
her,  to  have  this  happen.  No,  she  don't  say  much, 
but  she  acts  pretty  solemn." 

"Say,  Mr.  Tidditt?" 

"Yes,  what  is  it?" 

"  You  don't  s'pose  anything  that  happened  be 
twixt  her  and  Cap'n  Whittaker  that  afternoon  is 
responsible  for — for  his  stayin'  away  so,  do  you? 
You  know  what  he  told  me  to  tell  her — about  her 
not  comin'  here?  " 

Asaph  fidgeted  with  the  wet  cap. 

"  Aw,  that  ain't  nothin',"  he  stammered.  "  That 
is,  I  hope  it  ain't.  I  did  say  somethin'  to  him  that 
— but  Phoebe  understands.  She's  a  smart  woman." 

'  You  haven't  told  them  boardin'  house  tattle- 
tales  about  the — Emmie,  you  go  fetch  me  a  card  of 
matches  from  the  kitchen,  won't  you — of  what's  been 
found  out  about  that  Thomas  thing?" 

369 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Course  I  ain't.  Didn't  Peabody  say  not  to  tell 
a  soul  till  we  was  sure?  S'pose  I'd  tell  Keturah  and 
Angie?  Might's  well  paint  it  on  a  sign  and  be  done 
with  it.  No,  no !  I've  kept  mum  and  you  do  the 
same.  Well,  I  must  be  goin'.  Hope  to  goodness 
we  hear  some  good  news  from  Whit  by  to-morrer." 

But  when  to-morrow  came  news  of  any  kind  was 
unobtainable.  No  trains  could  get  through,  and  the 
telephone  and  telegraph  wires  were  out  of  commis 
sion,  owing  to  the  great  storm.  Bayport  was  buried 
under  a  white  coverlet,  three  feet  thick  on  a  level, 
which  shone  in  the  winter  sun  as  if  powdered  with 
diamond  dust.  The  street-shoveling  brigade,  meaning 
most  of  the  active  male  citizens,  was  busy  with  plows 
and  shovels.  Simmons's  was  deserted  in  the  even 
ings,  for  most  of  the  regular  habitues  went  to  bed 
after  supper,  tired  out. 

Two  days  of  this.  Then  Gabe  Lumley,  his  depot 
wagon  replaced  by  a  sleigh,  drove  the  panting  Daniel 
into  the  yard  of  the  Cy  Whittaker  place.  Gabe  was 
much  excited.  He  had  news  of  importance  to  com 
municate  and  was  puffed  up  in  consequence. 

"  The  wire's  all  right  again,  Georgianna,"  he 
said  to  the  housekeeper,  who  had  hurried  to  the  door 
to  meet  him.  "  Fust  message  just  come  through. 
Guess  who  it's  for?" 

"Stop  your  foolishness,  Gabe  Lumley!  "  ordered 
Miss  Taylor.  "  Hand  over  that  telegram  this  min 
ute.  Don't  you  stop  to  talk!  Hand  it  over!  " 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

Gabe  didn't  intend  to  be  "  corked  "  thus  peremp 
torily. 

"  It's  pretty  important  news,  Georiganna,"  he  de 
clared.  "  Kind  of  bad  news,  too.  I  think  I'd  ought 
to  prepare  you  for  it,  sort  of.  When  Cap'n  Obed 
Pepper  died,  I " 

"Died!  For  the  land  sakes!  What  are  you  say- 
in'  ?  Give  me  that,  you  foolhead !  Give  it  to  me !  " 

She  snatched  the  telegram  from  him  and  tore  it 
open.  It  was  not  as  bad  as  might  have  been,  but  it 
was  bad  enough.  Lawyer  Peabody  wired  that  Cap 
tain  Cyrus  Whittaker  was  at  his  home  in  Ostable, 
sick  in  bed,  and  threatened  with  pneumonia. 

Captain  Cy,  hurrying  homeward  in  response  to 
the  attorney's  former  telegram,  had  reached  Boston 
the  day  of  the  blizzard.  He  had  taken  the  train 
for  Bayport  that  afternoon.  The  train  had  reached 
Ostable  after  nine  o'clock  that  night,  but  could  get 
no  farther.  The  captain,  burning  with  fever  and 
torn  by  chills,  had  wallowed  through  the  drifts  to  his 
lawyer's  home  and  collapsed  on  his  doorstep.  Now 
he  was  very  ill  and,  at  times,  delirious. 

For  two  weeks  he  lay,  fighting  off  the  threatened 
attack  of  pneumonia.  But  he  won  the  fight,  and, 
at  last,  word  came  to  the  anxious  ones  at  Bayport 
that  he  was  past  the  danger  point  and  would  pull 
through.  There  was  rejoicing  at  the  Cy  Whittaker 
place.  The  Board  of  Strategy  came  and  performed 

371 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

an  impromptu  war  dance  around  the  dining-room 
table. 

"Whe-e-e!"  shouted  Bailey  Bangs,  tossing  Bos'n 
above  his  head.  "  Your  Uncle  Cy's  weathered  the 
Horn  and  is  bound  for  clear  water  now.  Three 
cheers  for  our  side !  Won't  we  give  him  a  recep 
tion  when  we  get  him  back  here !  " 

"  Won't  we?"  crowed  Asaph.  "Well,  I  just 
guess  we  will !  You  ought  to  hear  Angie  and  the 
rest  of  'em  chant  hymns  of  glory  about  him.  A 
body'd  think  they  always  knew  he  was  the  salt  of  the 
earth.  Maybe  I  don't  rub  it  in  a  little,  hey?  Oh, 
no,  maybe  not !  " 

"  And  Heman  !  "  chimed  in  Mr.  Bangs.  "  And 
Heman !  Would  you  ever  believe  he'd  change  so  all 
of  a  sudden?  Bully  old  Whit!  I  can  mention  his 
name  now  without  Ketury's  landin'  onto  me  like  a 
snowslide.  Wheel  I  say,  wh-e-e-e  !  " 

He  continued  to  say  it;  and  Georgianna  and 
Asaph  said  what  amounted  to  the  same  thing.  A 
change  had  come  over  our  Bayport  social  atmos 
phere,  a  marvelous  change.  And  at  Simmons's  and 
— more  wonderful  still — at  Tad  Simpson's  barber 
shop,  plans  were  being  made  and  perfected  for  pro 
ceedings  in  which  Cyrus  Whittaker  was  to  play  the 
most  prominent  part. 

Meanwhile  the  convalescence  went  on  at  a  rapid 
rate.  As  soon  as  he  was  permitted  to  talk,  Captain 
Cy  began  to  question  his  lawyer.  How  about  the 

372 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

appeal?  Had  Atkins  done  anything  further?  The 
answers  were  satisfactory.  The  case  had  been 
dropped:  the  Honorable  Heman  had  announced  its 
withdrawal.  He  had  said  that  he  had  changed  his 
mind  and  should  not  continue  to  espouse  the  Thomas 
cause.  In  fact,  he  seemed  to  have  whirled  com 
pletely  about  on  his  pedestal  and,  like  a  compass, 
now  pointed  only  in  one  direction — toward  his  "  boy 
hood  friend "  and  present  neighbor,  Cyrus  Whit- 
taker. 

"  It's  perfectly  astounding,"  commented  Peabody. 
'  What  in  the  world,  captain,  did  you  do  to  him 
while  you  were  in  Washington?" 

"  Oh !  nothin'  much,"  was  the  rather  disinterested 
answer.  "  Him  and  me  had  a  talk,  and  he  saw  the 
error  of  his  ways,  I  cal'late.  How's  Bos'n  to-day? 
Did  you  give  her  my  love  when  you  'phoned?" 

"  So  far  as  the  case  is  concerned,"  went  on  the 
lawyer,  "  I  think  we  should  have  won  that,  anyway. 
It's  a  curious  thing.  Thomas  has  disappeared.  How 
he  got  word,  or  who  he  got  it  from,  /  don't  know; 
but  he  must  have,  and  he's  gone  somewhere,  no  one 
knows  where.  And  yet  I'm  not  certain  that  we 
were  on  the  right  trail.  It  seemed  certain  a  week 
ago,  but  now " 

The  captain  had  not  been  listening.  He  was 
thinking.  Thomas  had  gone,  had  he !  Good !  He- 
man  was  living  up  to  his  promises.  And  Bos'n, 
God  bless  her,  was  free  from  that  danger. 

373 


"Have  you  heard  from  Emmie,  I  asked  you?" 
he  repeated. 

He  would  not  listen  to  anything  further  concern 
ing  Thomas,  either  then  or  later.  He  was  sick  of 
the  whole  business,  he  declared,  and  now  that  every 
thing  was  all  right,  didn't  wish  to  talk  about  it  again. 
He  asked  nothing  about  the  appropriation,  and  the 
lawyer,  acting  under  strict  orders,  did  not  mention  it. 

Only  once  did  Captain  Cy  inquire  concerning  a 
person  in  his  home  town  who  was  not  a  member 
of  his  household. 

"How  is — er — how's  the  teacher?"  he  inquired 
one  morning. 

"How's  who?" 

"  Why — Phoebe  Dawes,  the  school-teacher.  Smart, 
is  she?" 

"  Yes,  indeed !    Why,  she  has  been  the  most — 

The  doctor  came  in  just  then  and  the  interview 
terminated.  It  was  not  resumed,  because  that  after 
noon  Mr.  Peabody  started  for  Boston  on  a  business 
trip,  to  be  gone  some  time. 

And  at  last  came  the  great  day,  the  day  when 
Captain  Cy  was  to  be  taken  home.  He  was  up  and 
about,  had  been  out  for  several  short  walks,  and  was 
very  nearly  his  own  self  again.  He  was  in  good 
spirits,  too,  at  times,  but  had  fits  of  seeming  depres 
sion  which,  under  the  circumstances,  were  unexplain- 
able.  The  doctor  thought  they  were  due  to  his 
recent  illness  and  forbade  questioning. 

374 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

The  original  plan  had  been  for  the  captain  to  go 
to  Bayport  in  the  train,  but  the  morning  set  for  his 
departure  was  such  a  beautiful  one  that  Mr.  Pea- 
body,  who  had  the  day  before  returned  from  the  city, 
suggested  driving  over.  So  the  open  carriage,  drawn 
by  the  Peabody  "  span,"  was  brought  around  to  the 
front  steps,  and  the  captain,  bundled  up  until,  as  he 
said,  he  felt  like  a  wharf  rat  inside  a  cotton  bale, 
emerged  from  the  house  which  had  sheltered  him 
for  a  weary  month  and  climbed  to  the  back  seat.  The 
attorney  got  in  beside  him. 

"  All  ashore  that's  goin'  ashore,"  observed  Cap 
tain  Cy.  Then  to  the  driver,  who  stood  by  the 
horses'  heads,  he  added:  "Stand  by  to  get  ship 
under  way,  commodore.  I'm  homeward  bound,  and 
there's  a  little  messmate  of  mine  waitin'  on  the  dock 
already,  I  wouldn't  wonder.  So  don't  hang  around 
these  waters  no  longer'n  you  can  help." 

But  Mr.  Peabody  smiled  and  laid  a  hand  on  his 
shoulder. 

"  Just  a  minute,  captain,"  he  said.  "  We've  got 
another  passenger.  She  came  to  the  house  last 
evening,  but  Dr.  Cole  thought  this  would  be  an 
exciting  day  for  you,  and  you  must  sleep  in  prepa 
ration  for  it.  So  we  kept  her  in  the  background. 
It  was  something  of  a  job  but —  Hurrah !  here 
she  is!" 

Mrs.  Peabody,  the  lawyer's  wife,  opened  the  front 
door.  She  was  laughing.  The  next  moment  a  small 

375 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

figure  shot  past  her,  down  the  steps,  and  into  the 
carriage  like  a  red-hooded  bombshell. 

"  Uncle  Cyrus!  "  she  screamed  joyously.  "  Uncle 
Cyrus,  it's  me!  Here  I  am!" 

And  Captain  Cy,  springing  up  and  shedding  wraps 
and  robes,  received  the  bombshell  with  open  arms 
and  hugged  it  tight. 

"Bos'n!"  he  shouted.  "By  the  big  dipper! 
Bos'nf  Why,  you  little — you — you— 

That  was  a  wyonderful  ride.  Emily  sat  in  the  cap 
tain's  lap — he  positively  refused  to  let  her  sit  beside 
him  on  the  seat,  although  Peabody  urged  it,  fearing 
the  child  might  tire  him — and  her  tongue  rattled 
like  a  sewing  machine.  She  had  a  thousand  things 
to  tell,  about  her  school,  about  Georgianna,  about 
her  dolls,  about  Lonesome,  the  cat,  and  how  many 
mice  he  had  caught,  about  the  big  snowstorm. 

"  Georgianna  wanted  me  to  stay  at  home  and 
wait  for  you,  Uncle  Cy,"  she  said,  "  but  I  teased  and 
teased  and  finally  they  said  I  could  come  over.  I 
came  yesterday  on  the  train.  Mr.  Tidditt  went  with 
me  to  the  depot.  Mrs.  Peabody  let  me  peek  into 
your  room  last  night  and  I  saw  you  eating  supper. 
You  didn't  know  I  was  there,  did  you?  " 

"  You  bet  I  didn't!  There'd  have  been  a  mutiny 
right  then  if  I'd  caught  sight  of  you.  You  little 
sculpin !  Playin'  it  on  your  Uncle  Cy,  was  you?  I 
didn't  know  you  could  keep  a  secret  so  well." 

"  Oh,  yes  I  can !  Why,  I  know  an  ever  so  much 
376 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

bigger  secret,  too.  It  is —  Why!  I  'most  forgote 
You  just  wait." 

The  captain  laughingly  begged  her  to  divulge  the 
big  secret,  but  she  shook  her  small  head  and  refused. 
The  horses  trotted  on  at  a  lively  pace,  and  tlu  .ales 
separating  Ostable  and  Bayport  were  subtracted  one 
by  one.  It  was  magnificent  winter  \veather.  The 
snow  had  disappeared  from  the  road,  except  in 
widely  separated  spots,  but  the  big  drifts  still  heaped 
the  fields  and  shone  and  sparkled  in  the  sunshine. 
Against  their  whiteness  the  pitch  pines  and  cedars 
stood  darkly  green  and  the  skeleton  scrub  oaks  and 
bushes  cast  delicate  blue-penciled  shadows.  The 
bay,  seen  over  the  flooded,  frozen  salt  meadows  and 
distant  dunes,  was  in  its  winter  dress  of  the  deepest 
sapphire,  trimmed  with  whitecaps  and  fringed  with 
stranded  ice  cakes.  There  was  a  snap  and  tang  in 
the  breeze  which  braced  one  like  a  tonic.  The 
party  in  the  carriage  was  a  gay  one. 

"Getting  tired,  captain?"  asked  Peabody. 

"Who?  Me?  Well,  I  guess  not.  'Most  home, 
Bos'n.  There's  the  salt  works  ahead  there." 

They  passed  the  abandoned  salt  works,  the  crum 
bling  ruins  of  a  dead  industry,  and  the  boundary 
stone,  now  half  hidden  in  a  drift,  marking  the  be 
ginning  of  Bayport  township.  Then,  from  the  pine 
grove  at  the  curve  farther  on,  appeared  two  capped 
and  coated  figures,  performing  a  crazy  fandango. 

''  Who's    them   two    lunatics,"    inquired    Captain 

377 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

Cy,  "  whoopin'  and  carryin'  on  in  the  middle  of  the 
road?  Has  anybody  up  this  way  had  a  jug  come  by 
express  or —  Hey!  What?  Why,  you  old  idiots 
you !  Come  here  and  let  me  get  a  hold  of  you !  " 
••»:  Board  of  Strategy  swooped  down  upon  the 
carriage  like  Trumet  mosquitoes  on  a  summer  board 
er.  They  swarmed  into  the  vehicle,  Bailey  on  the 
front  seat  and  Asaph  in  the  rear,  where,  somehow 
or  other,  they  made  room  for  him.  There  were 
handshakings  and  thumps  on  the  back. 

"  What  you  doin'  'way  up  here  in  the  west  end 
of  nowhere?"  demanded  Captain  Cy.  "By  the 
big  dipper,  I'm  glad  to  see  you !  How'd  you  get 
here?" 

"  Walked,"  cackled  Bailey.  "  Frogged  it  all  the 
way.  Soon's  Mrs.  Peabody  wired  you  was  goin' 
to  ride,  me  and  Ase  started  to  meet  you.  Wan't 
you  surprised?  " 

"  We  wanted  to  be  the  fust  to  say  howdy,  old 
man,"  explained  Asaph.  "  Wanted  to  welcome  you 
back,  you  know." 

The  captain  was  immensely  pleased. 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  I've  got  so  much  popularity, 
anyhow,"  he  said.  "  Guess  'twill  be  different  when 
I  get  down  street,  hey?  Don't  cal'late  Tad  and 
Angie  '11  shed  the  joyous  tear  over  me.  Never  mind; 
long's  my  friends  are  glad  I  don't  care  about  the 
rest." 

The  Board  looked  at  each  other. 
378 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

"  Tad?  "  repeated  Bailey.  "  And  Angle?  What 
you  talkin'  about?  Why,  they —  Ugh!" 

The  last  exclamation  was  the  result  of  a  tremen 
dous  dig  in  the  ribs  from  the  Tidditt  fist.  Asaph, 
who  had  leaned  forward  to  administer  it,  was  frown 
ing  and  shaking  his  head.  Mr.  Bangs  relapsed  into 
a  grinning  silence. 

West  Bayport  seemed  to  be  deserted.  At  one  or 
two  houses,  however,  feminine  heads  appeared  at  the 
windows.  One  old  lady  shook  a  calico  apron  at  the 
carriage.  A  child  beside  her  cried:  "Hurrah!" 

"  Aunt  Hepsy  h'istin'  colors  by  mistake,"  laughed 
the  captain.  "  She  ain't  got  her  specs,  I  guess,  and 
thinks  I'm  Heman.  That  comes  of  ridin'  astern  of 
a  span,  Peabody." 

But  as  they  drew  near  the  Center  flags  were  flying 
from  front-yard  poles.  Some  of  the  houses  were 
decorated. 

'  What  in  the  world — "  began  Captain  Cy. 
"Land  sakes!  look  at  the  schoolhouse.  And  Sim- 
mons's!  And — and  Simpson's !" 

The  schoolhouse  flag  was  flapping  in  the  wind. 
The  scarred  wooden  pillars  of  its  portico  were  hidden 
with  bunting.  Simmons's  front  displayed  a  row  of 
little  banners,  each  bearing  a  letter — the  letters 
spelled  "  Welcome  Home."  Tad's  barber  shop  was 
more  or  less  artistically  wreathed  in  colored  tissue 
paper.  There,  too,  a  flag  was  draped  over  the  front 
door.  Yet  not  a  single  person  was  in  sight. 

27  379 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"For  goodness'  sake!"  cried  the  bewildered 
captain.  "What's  all  this  mean?  And  where  is 
everybody.  Have  all  hands " 

He  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  sentence.  They 
were  at  the  foot  of  Whittaker's  Hill.  Its  top,  be 
tween  the  Atkins's  gate  and  the  Whittaker  fence, 
was  black  with  people.  Children  pranced  about  the 
outskirts  of  the  crowd.  A  shout  came  down  the  wind. 
The  horses,  not  in  the  least  fatigued  by  their  long 
canter,  trotted  up  the  slope.  The  shouting  grew 
louder.  A  wave  of  youngsters  came  racing  to  meet 
the  equipage. 

"What — what  in  time?"  gasped  Captain  Cy. 
"What's  up?  I " 

And  then  the  town  clerk  seized  him  by  the  arm. 
Peabody  shook  his  other  hand.  Bos'n  threw  her 
arms  about  his  neck.  Bailey  stood  up  and  waved 
his  hat. 

"  It's  you,  you  old  critter !  "  whooped  Asaph. 
"It's  you,  d'you  understand?" 

"  The  appropriation  has  gone  through,"  explained 
the  lawyer,  "  and  this  is  the  celebration  in  con 
sequence.  And  you  are  the  star  attraction  be 
cause,  you  see,  everyone  knows  you  are  responsible 
for  it." 

"  That's  what !  "  howled  the  excited  Bangs.  "  And 
we're  goin'  to  show  you  what  we  think  of  you  for 
doin'  it.  We've  been  plannin'  this  for  over  a  fort- 
ni't." 

380 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

"  And  I  knew  it  all  the  time,"  squealed  Bos'n, 
"  and  I  didn't  tell  a  word,  did  I  ?  " 

"Three  cheers  for  Captain  Whittaker!"  bel 
lowed  a  person  in  the  crowd.  This  person — wonder 
of  wonders  ! — was  Tad  Simpson. 

The  cheering  was,  considering  the  size  of  the 
crowd,  tremendous.  Bewildered  and  amazed,  Cap 
tain  Cy  was  assisted  from  the  carriage  and  escorted 
to  his  front  door.  Amidst  the  handkerchief-waving, 
applauding  people  he  saw  Keturah  Bangs  and  Al- 
pheus  Smalley  and  Angeline  Phinney  and  Captain 
Salters — even  Alonzo  Snow,  his  recent  opponent  in 
town  meeting.  Josiah  Dimick  was  there,  too,  ap 
parently  having  a  fit. 

On  the  doorstep  stood  Georgianna  and — and — 
yes,  it  was  true — beside  her,  grandly  extending  a 
welcoming  hand,  the  majestic  form  of  the  Honora 
ble  Heman  Atkins.  Some  one  else  was  there  also, 
some  one  who  hurriedly  slipped  back  into  the  crowd 
as  the  owner  of  the  Cy  Whittaker  place  came  up  the 
path  between  the  hedges. 

Mr.  Atkins  shook  the  captain's  hand  and  then, 
turning  toward  the  people,  held  up  his  own  for  si 
lence.  To  all  outward  appearance,  he  was  still  the 
great  Heman,  our  district  idol,  philanthropist,  and 
leader.  His  silk  hat  glistened  as  of  old,  his  chest 
swelled  in  the  old  manner,  his  whiskers  were  just  as 
dignified  and  awe-inspiring.  For  an  instant,  as  he 
met  the  captain's  eye,  his  own  faltered  and  fell,  and 


there  was  a  pleading  expression  in  his  face,  the  lines 
of  which  had  deepened  just  a  little.  But  only  for  an 
instant;  then  he  began  to  speak. 

"  Cyrus,"  he  said,  "  it  is  my  pleasant  duty,  on  be 
half  of  your  neighbors  and  friends  here  assembled, 
to  welcome  you  to  your — er — ancestral  home  after 
your  trying  illness.  I  do  it  heartily,  sincerely,  gladly. 
And  it  is  the  more  pleasing  to  me  to  perform  this 
duty,  because,  as  I  have  explained  publicly  to  my 
fellow-townspeople,  all  disagreement  between  us  is 
ended.  I  was  wrong — again  I  publicly  admit  it.  A 
scheming  blackleg,  posing  in  the  guise  of  a  loving 
father,  imposed  upon  me.  I  am  sorry  for  the  trouble 
I  have  caused  you.  Of  you  and  of  the  little  girl  with 
you  I  ask  pardon — I  entreat  forgiveness." 

He  paused.  Captain  Cy,  the  shadow  of  a  smile 
at  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  nodded,  and  said  briefly: 

"  All  right,  Heman.  I  forgive  you."  Few  heard 
him :  the  majority  were  applauding  the  congressman. 
Sylvanus  Cahoon,  whispering  in  the  ear  of  "  Uncle 
Bedny,"  expressed  as  his  opinion  that  "  that  was 
about  as  magnaminious  a  thing  as  ever  I  heard  said. 
Yes,  sir!  mag-na-min-ious — that's  what  /  call  it." 

"  But,"  continued  the  great  Atkins,  "  I  have  said 
all  this  to  you  before.  What  I  have  to  say  now — 
what  I  left  my  duties  in  Washington  expressly  to 
come  here  and  say — is  that  Bayport  thanks  you,  / 
thank  you,  for  your  tremendous  assistance  in  obtain 
ing  the  appropriation  which  is  to  make  our  harbor 

382 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

a  busy  port  where  our  gallant  fishing  fleet  may  ride 
at  anchor  and  unload  its  catch,  instead  of  transfer 
ring  it  in  dories  as  heretofore.  Friends,  I  have  al 
ready  told  you  how  this  man  " — laying  a  hand  on 
the  captain's  shoulder — "  came  to  the  Capital  and 
used  his  influence  among  his  acquaintances  in  high 
places,  with  the  result  that  the  thirty  thousand  dol 
lars,  which  I  had  despaired  of  getting,  was  added 
to  the  bill.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  voting  for  that 
bill.  It  passed.  I  am  proud  of  that  vote." 

Tremendous  applause.  Then  some  one  called  for 
three  cheers  for  Mr.  Atkins.  They  were  given.  But 
the  recipient  merely  bowed. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said  deprecatingly.  "  No,  no !  not 
for  me,  my  friends,  much  as  I  appreciate  your  grati 
tude.  My  days  of  public  service  are  nearly  at  an 
end.  As  I  have  intimated  to  some  of  you  already, 
I  am  seriously  considering  retiring  from  political 
life  in  the  near  future.  But  that  is  irrelevant;  it  is 
not  material  at  present.  To-day  we  meet,  not  to 
say  farewell  to  the  setting,  but  to  greet  the  rising 
sun.  /  call  for  three  cheers  for  our  committee  of 
one — Captain  Cyrus  Whittaker." 

When  the  uproar  had  at  last  subsided,  there  were 
demands  for  a  speech  from  Captain  Cy.  But  the 
captain,  facing  them,  his  arms  about  the  delighted 
Bos'n,  positively  declined  to  orate. 

"  I — I'm  ever  so  much  obliged  to  you,  folks,"  he 
stammered.  "  I  am  so.  But  you'll  have  to  excuse 

383 


me  from  speechmaking.  They — they  didn't  teach  it 
afore  the  mast,  where  I  went  to  college.  Thank  you, 
just  the  same.  And  do  come  and  see  me,  everybody. 
Me  and  this  little  girl,"  drawing  Emily  nearer  to 
him,  "  will  be  real  glad  to  have  you." 

After  the  handshaking  and  congratulating  were 
over,  the  crowd  dispersed.  It  was  a  great  occasion; 
all  agreed  to  that,  but  the  majority  considered  it  a 
divided  triumph.  The  captain  had  done  a  lot  for 
the  town,  of  course,  but  the  Honorable  Atkins  had 
made  another  splendid  impression  by  his  address  of 
welcome.  Most  people  thought  it  as  fine  as  his 
memorable  effort  at  town  meeting.  Unlike  that 
one,  however,  in  this  instance  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
none,  not  even  the  adoring  and  praise-chanting  Miss 
Phinney,  derived  quite  the  enjoyment  from  the  con 
gressman's  speech  that  Captain  Cy  did.  It  tickled 
his  sense  of  humor. 

"  Ase,"  he  observed  irrelevantly  when  the  five — 
Tidditt,  Georgianna,  Bailey,  Bos'n,  and  himself 
were  at  last  alone  again  in  the  sitting  room,  "  it  don't 
pay  to  tip  over  a  monument,  does  it — not  out  in 
public,  I  mean.  You  wouldn't  want  to  see  me  blow 
up  Bunker  Hill,  would  you?  " 

"  Blow  up  Bunker  Hill !  "  repeated  Asaph  in 
alarmed  amazement.  "Godfrey  scissors!  I  be 
lieve  you're  goin'  loony.  This  day's  been  too  much 
for  you.  What  are  you  talkin'  about?  " 

"  Oh,  nothin',"  with  a  quiet  chuckle.  "  I  was 
384 


DIVIDED    HONORS 

thinkin'  out  loud,  that's  all.  Did  you  ever  notice 
them  imitation  stone  pillars  on  Heman's  house? 
They're  holler  inside,  but  you'd  never  guess  it.  And, 
long  as  you  do  know  they're  holler,  you  can  keep 
a  watch  on  'em.  And  there's  one  thing  sure,"  he 
added,  "  they  are  ornamental." 


CHAPTER   XXI 

CAPTAIN   CY'S   "  PICTURE  " 

WONDER    where    Phoebe    went    to,"    re~ 
marked  Mr.  Tidditt,  a  little  later.     "  I 
thought    I    saw    her    with    Heman    and 
Georgianna  on  the  front  steps  when  we  drove  up." 

"  She  was  there,"  affirmed  the  housekeeper. 
"  She'd  been  helpin'  me  trim  up  the  rooms  here. 
What  do  you  think  of  'em,  Cap'n  Cyrus?  Ain't  they 
pretty?  " 

The  sitting  room  and  dining  room  were  gay  with 
evergreens  and  old-fashioned  flowers.  Our  living 
room  windows  in  the  winter  time  are  usually  filled 
with  carefully  tended  potted  plants,  and  the  neigh 
bors  had  loaned  their  geraniums  and  fuchsias  and 
heliotrope  and  begonias  to  brighten  the  Whittaker 
house  for  its  owner's  return.  Captain  Cy,  who  was 
sitting  in  the  rocker,  with  Bos'n  on  his  knee,  looked 
about  him.  Now  that  the  first  burst  of  excitement 
was  over,  he  seemed  grave  and  preoccupied. 

'  They  look  mighty  pretty,  Georgianna,"  he  said. 
"  Fine  enough.  But  what  was  that  you  just  said? 
Did- 

386 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

"  Yup,"  interrupted  Miss  Taylor,  who  had  scarce 
ly  ceased  talking  since  breakfast  that  morning, 
"  Yes,  'twas  teacher  that  helped  fix  'em.  Not  that 
I  wouldn't  have  got  along  without  her,  but  I  had 
more  to  do  than  a  little,  cleanin'  and  scrubbin'  up. 
So  Phoebe  she  come  in,  and —  Oh!  yes,  as  I  was 
sayin',  she  was  out  front  with  me,  but  the  minute 
your  carriage  drove  up  with  that  lovely  span —  Ain't 
that  a  fine  span !  I  cal'late  they're " 

"What  become  of  teacher?"   broke   in   Bailey. 

"  Why,  she  run  off  somewheres.  I  didn't  see 
where  she  went  to;  I  was  too  busy  hollerin'  at 
Cap'n  Whittaker  and  noticin'  that  span.  I  bet 
you  they  made  Angie  Phinney's  eyes  stick  out. 
I  guess  she  realizes  that  we  in  this  house  are 
some  punkins  now.  If  I  don't  lord  it  over  her 
when  I  run  acrost  her  these  days,  then  I  miss  my 
guess.  I " 

"  Belay!  "  ordered  Captain  Cy,  his  gravity  more 
pronounced  than  ever.  "  How  does  it  happen  that 
you —  See  here,  Georgianna,  did  you  tell  Ph — er — 
Miss  Dawes  what  I  told  you  to  tell  her  when  I  went 
away?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  I  told  her.  I  hated  to,  dreadful, 
but  I  done  it.  She  was  awful  set  back  at  fust,  but  I 
guess  she  asked  Mr.  Tidditt —  Where  you  goin', 
Mr.  Tidditt?" 

The  town  clerk,  his  face  red,  was  on  his  way  to 
the  door. 

387 


"Asked  Ase?"  repeated  the  captain.  "  Ase, 
come  here!  Did  you  tell  her  anything?" 

Asaph  was  very  much  embarrassed. 

"  Well,"  he  stammered,  "  I  didn't  mean  to,  Cy, 
but  she  got  to  askin'  me  questions,  and  somehow  or 
'nother  I  did  tell  her  about  our  confab,  yours  and 
mine.  I  told  her  that  I  knew  folks  was  talkin',  and 
I  felt  'twas  my  duty  to  tell  you  so.  That's  why  I 
done  it,  and  I  told  her  you  said — well,  you  know 
what  you  said  yourself,  Cy." 

Captain  Cy  was  evidently  much  disturbed.  He 
put  Bos'n  down,  and  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Well,"  he  asked  sharply,  "what  did  she  say?" 

"  Oh !  she  was  white  and  still  for  a  minute  or  two. 
Then  she  kind  of  stamped  her  foot  and  went  off 
and  left  me.  But  next  time  she  met  me  she  was 
nice  as  pie.  She's  been  pretty  frosty  to  Angie  and 
the  rest  of  'em,  but  she's  been  always  nice  to  Bailey 
and  me.  Why,  when  I  asked  her  pardon,  she  said 
not  at  all,  she  was  very  glad  to  know  the  truth;  it 
helped  her  to  understand  things.  And  you  could  see 
she  meant  it,  too.  She 

"  So  she  has  been  comin'  here  ever  since.  And  the 
gossip  has  been  goin'  on,  I  s'pose.  Well,  by  the 
big  dipper,  it'll  stop  now!  I'll  see  to  that." 

The  Board  of  Strategy  and  the  housekeeper  were 
amazed. 

"  Gossip !  "  repeated  Bailey.  "  Well,  I  guess  there 
ain't  nothin'  said  against  her  now — not  in  this  town, 

388 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

there  ain't !  Why,  all  hands  can't  praise  her  enough 
for  her  smartness  in  findin'  out  about  that 
Thomas.  If  it  wan't  for  her,  he'd  be  botherin' 
you  yet,  Cy.  You  know  it.  What  are  you  talkin* 
about?" 

Captain  Cy  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead. 

"  Bos'n,"  he  said  slowly,  "  you  run  and  help 
Georgianna  in  the  kitchen  a  spell.  She's  got  her 
dinner  to  look  out  for,  I  guess  likely.  Georgianna,'* 
to  the  housekeeper,  who  looked  anything  but  eager, 
"  you  better  see  to  your  dinner  right  off,  and  take 
Emmie  with  you." 

Miss  Taylor  reluctantly  departed,  leading  Bos'n 
by  the  hand.  The  child  was  loath  to  leave  her  uncle, 
but  he  told  her  he  wouldn't  give  a  cent  for  his  first 
dinner  at  home  if  she  didn't  help  in  preparing  it. 
So  she  went  out  happy. 

"  Now,  then,"  demanded  the  captain,  "  what's 
this  about  Phoebe  and  Thomas?  I  want  to  know. 
Stop !  Don't  ask  another  question.  Answer  me 
first." 

So  the  Board  of  Strategy,  by  turns  and  in  concert, 
told  of  the  drive  to  Trumet  and  the  call  on  Debby 
Beasley.  Asaph  would  have  narrated  the  story  of 
the  upset  sulky,  but  Bailey  shut  him  up  in  short 
order. 

"  Never  mind  that  foolishness,"  he  snapped. 
"  You  see,  Cy,  Debby  had  just  been  out  to  Arizona 
visitin'  old  Beasley's  niece.  And  she'd  fell  in  with 

389 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

a  woman  out  there  whose  husband  had  run  off  and 
left  her.  And  Debby,  she  read  the  advertisement 
about  him  in  the  Arizona  paper,  and  it  said  he 
had  the  spring  halt  in  his  off  hind  leg,  or  somethin' 
similar.  Now,  Thomas,  he  had  that,  too,  and  there 
was  other  things  that  reminded  Phoebe  of  him.  So 
she  don't  say  nothin'  to  nobody,  but  she  writes  to 
this  woman  askin'  for  more  partic'lars  and  a  photo 
graph  of  the  missin'  one.  The  partic'lars  come, 
but  the  photograph  didn't;  the  wife  didn't  have 
none,  I  b'lieve.  But  there  was  enough  to  send 
Phoebe  hotfoot  to  Mr.  Peabody.  And  Peabody  he 
writes  to  his  lawyer  friend  in  Butte,  Montana.  And 

the  Butte  man  he " 

"  Well,  the  long  and  short  of  it  is,"  cut  in 
Tidditt,  "  that  it  looked  safe  and  sartin  that  Thomas 
had  married  the  Arizona  woman  while  his  real  wife, 
Bos'n's  ma,  was  livin',  and  had  run  off  and  left  her 

same  as  he  did  Mary.  And  the  funny  part  of  it 
• »» 

"  The  funny  part  of  it  is,"  declared  Bangs,  drown 
ing  his  friend's  voice  by  raising  his  own,  "  that 
somebody  out  there,  some  scalawag  friend  of  this 
Thomas,  must  have  got  wind  of  what  was  up,  and 
sent  word  to  him.  'Cause,  when  they  went  to  hunt 
for  him  in  Boston,  he'd  gone,  skipped,  cut  stick. 
And  they  ain't  seen  him  since.  He  was  afraid  of 
bein'  took  up  for  bigamist,  you  see — for  bein'  a 
bigamy,  I  mean.  Well,  you  know  what  I'm  tryin' 

390 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

to  say.  Anyhow,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me  and 
Phoebe " 

"  You  and  Phoebe !  "  snorted  Asaph.  "  You  had 
a  whole  lot  to  do  with  it,  didn't  you  ?  You  and  Aunt 
Debby  '11  do  to  go  together.  I  understand  she's 
cruisin'  round  makin'  proclamations  that  she  was  re 
sponsible  for  the  whole  thing.  No,  sir-ree !  it's 
Phoebe  Dawes  that  the  credit  belongs  to,  and  this 
town  ain't  done  nothin'  but  praise  her  since  it 
come  out.  You  never  see  such  a  quick  come-about 
in  your  life — unless  'twas  Heman's.  But  you 
knew  all  this  afore,  Whit.  Peabody  must  have 
told  you." 

Captain  Cy  had  listened  to  his  friends'  story  with 
a  face  expressive  of  the  most  blank  astonishment.  As 
he  learned  of  the  trip  to  Trumet  and  its  results,  his 
eyes  and  mouth  opened,  and  he  repeatedly  rubbed 
his  forehead  and  muttered  exclamations.  Now,  at 
the  mention  of  his  lawyer's  name,  he  seemed  to 
awaken. 

"  Hold  on !  "  he  interrupted,  waving  his  hand. 
"  Hold  on  !  By  the  big  dipper !  this  is — is —  Where 
is  Peabody?  I  want  to  see  him." 

"  Here  I  am,  captain,"  said  the  attorney.  He  had 
been  out  to  the  barn  to  superintend  the  stabling  of 
the  span,  but  for  the  past  five  minutes  had  been 
standing,  unnoticed  by  his  client,  on  the  threshold 
of  the  dining  room. 

"  See  here,"   demanded   Captain   Cy,   "  see  here, 

391 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

Peabody;  is  this  yarn  true?     Is  it,  now?  this  about 
— about  Phoebe  and  all?" 

"  Certainly  it's  true.  I  supposed  you  knew  it. 
You  didn't  seem  surprised  when  I  told  you  the  case 
was  settled." 

"  Surprised?  Why,  no !  I  thought  Heman  had— 
Never  mind  that.  Land  of  love!  She  did  it. 
She!" 

He  sat  weakly  down.    The  lawyer  looked  anxious. 

"  Mr.  Tidditt,"  he  whispered,  "  I  think  perhaps 
he  had  better  be  left  alone  for  the  present.  He's 
just  up  from  a  sick  bed,  and  this  has  been  a  trying 
forenoon.  Come  in  again  this  afternoon.  I  shall 
try  to  persuade  him  to  take  a  nap." 

The  Board  of  Strategy,  its  curiosity  unsatisfied, 
'departed  reluctantly.  When  Mr.  Peabody  returned 
to  the  sitting  room  he  found  that  naps  were  far,  in 
deed,  from  the  captain's  thoughts.  The  latter  was 
pacing  the  sitting-room  floor. 

"  Where  is  she?  "  he  demanded.  "  She  was  stand- 
in'  on  the  steps  with  Heman.  Have  you  seen  her 
since?  " 

His  friend  was  troubled. 

"  Why,  yes,  I've  seen  her,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
been  talking  with  her.  She  has  gone  away." 

"Gone  away!  Where?  What  do  you  mean? 
She  ain't — ain't  left  Bayport?" 

"  No,  no.  What  in  the  world  should  she  lean 
Bayport  for?  She  has  gone  to  her  boarding  house, 

392 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

I  guess;  at  all  events,  she  was  headed  in  that  direc 
tion." 

"Why  didn't  she  shake  hands  with  me?  What 
made  her  go  off  and  not  say  a  word?  Oh,  well,  I 
guess  likely  I  know  the  why !  "  He  sighed  despond 
ently.  "  I  told  her  never  to  come  here  again." 

"  You  did?     What  in  the  world " 

''  Well,  for  what  I  thought  was  good  reasons;  all 
on  her  account  they  was.  And  yet  she  did  come  back, 
and  kept  comin',  even  after  Ase  blabbed  the  whole 
thing.  However,  I  s'pose  that  was  just  to  help 
Georgianna.  Oh,  hum !  I  am  an  old  fool." 

The  lawyer  inspected  him  seriously. 

"  Well,  captain,"  he  said  slowly,  "  if  it  is  any 
comfort  for  you  to  know  that  your  reason  isn't  the 
correct  one  for  Miss  Dawes's  going  away,  I  can  as 
sure  you  on  that  point.  I  think  she  went  because 
she  was  greatly  disappointed,  and  didn't  wish  to  see 
you  just  now." 

"Disappointed?     What  do  you  mean?" 

"Humph!  I  didn't  mean  to  tell  you  yet,  but  I 
judge  that  I'd  better.  No  one  knows  it  here  but 
Miss  Dawes  and  I,  and  probably  no  one  but  us  three 
need  ever  know  it.  You  see,  the  fact  is  that  the 
Arizona  woman,  Desire  Higgins,  isn't  Mrs.  Thomas 
at  all.  He  isn't  her  missing  husband." 

"What?" 

"  Yes,  it's  so.  Really,  it  was  too  much  of  a  co 
incidence  to  be  possible,  and  yet  it  certainly  did  seem 
28  393 


CY   WHITTAKER'S   PLACE 

that  it  would  prove  true.  This  Higgins  woman  was, 
apparently,  so  anxious  to  find  her  missing  man  that 
she  was  ready  to  recognize  almost  any  description; 
and  the  slight  lameness  and  the  fact  of  his  having 
been  in  Montana  helped  along.  If  we  could  have 
gotten  a  photograph  sooner,  the  question  would  have 
been  settled.  Only  last  week,  while  I  was  in  Bos 
ton,  I  got  word  from  the  detective  agency  that  a 
photo  had  been  received.  I  went  to  see  it  im 
mediately.  There  was  some  resemblance,  but  not 
enough.  Henry  Thomas  was  never  Mr.  Higgins." 
"  But — but — they  say  Thomas  has  skipped  out." 
"  Yes,  he  has.  That's  the  queer  part  of  it.  At 
the  place  where  he  boarded  we  learned  that  he  got 
a  letter  from  Arizona — trust  the  average  landlady 
to  look  at  postmarks — that  he  seemed  greatly  agi 
tated  all  that  day,  and  left  that  night.  No  one  has 
seen  him  since.  Why  he  went  is  a  puzzle.  Where, 
we  don't  care.  So  long  as  he  keeps  out  of  our  way, 
that's  enough." 

Captain  Cy  did  not  care,  either.  He  surmised 
that  Mr.  Atkins  might  probably  explain  the  disap 
pearance.  And  yet,  oddly  enough,  this  explanation 
was  not  the  true  one.  The  Honorable  Heman 
solemnly  assured  the  captain  that  he  had  not  com 
municated  with  Emily's  father.  He  intended  to  do 
so,  as  a  part  of  the  compact  agreed  upon  at  the  hotel, 
but  the  man  had  fled.  And  the  mystery  is  still  un 
solved.  The  supposition  is  that  there  really  was  a 

394 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

wife  somewhere  in  the  West.  Who  or  where  she 
was  no  Bayporter  knows.  Henry  Thomas  has  never 
come  back  to  explain. 

"  I  told  Miss  Dawes  of  the  photograph  and  what 
it  proved,"  went  on  Peabody.  "  She  was  dread 
fully  disappointed.  She  could  hardly  speak  when 
she  left  me.  I  urged  her  to  come  in  and  see  you, 
but  she  wouldn't.  Evidently  she  had  set  her  heart 
on  helping  you  and  the  child.  It  is  too  bad,  because, 
practically  speaking,  we  owe  everything  to  her. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  the  inquiry  set  on  foot  by 
her  scared  the  Thomas  fellow  into  flight.  And  she 
has  worked  night  and  day  to  aid  us.  She  is  a  very 
clever  woman,  Captain  Whittaker,  and  a  good  one. 
You  can't  thank  her  enough.  Here !  what  are  you 
about?" 

Captain  Cy  strode  past  him  into  the  dining  room. 
The  hat  rack  hung  on  the  wall  by  the  side  door. 
He  snatched  his  cap  from  the  peg,  and  was  strug 
gling  into  his  overcoat. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  demanded  the  lawyer. 
"  You  mustn't  attempt  to  walk  now.  You  need  rest." 

"  Rest !  I'll  rest  by  and  by.  Just  now  I've  got 
business  to  attend  to.  Let  go  of  that  pea-jacket." 

"  But " 

"  No  buts  about  it.     I'll  see  you  later.     So  long." 

He  threw  open  the  door  and  hurried  down  the 
walk.  The  lawyer  watched  him  in  amazement. 
Then  a  slow  smile  overspread  his  face. 

395 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

"  Captain,"   he   called.      "  Captain  Whittakcr." 

Captain  Cy  looked  back  over  his  shoulder.  "  What 
do  you  want?  "  he  asked. 

Mr.  Peabody's  face  was  now  intensely  solemn, 
but  there  was  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  I  think  she's  at  the  boarding  house,"  he  said 
demurely.  "  I'm  pretty  certain  you'll  find  her 
there." 

All  the  regulars  at  the  perfect  boarding  house 
had,  of  course,  attended  the  reception  at  the  Cy 
Whittaker  place.  None  of  them,  with  the  exception 
of  the  schoolmistress,  had  as  yet  returned.  Dinner 
had  been  forgotten  in  the  excitement  of  the  great 
day,  and  Keturah  and  Angeline  and  Mrs.  Tripp 
had  stopped  in  at  various  dwellings  along  the  main 
road,  to  compare  notes  on  the  captain's  appearance 
and  the  Atkins  address.  Asaph  and  Bailey  and  Al- 
pheus  Smalley  were  at  Simmons's. 

Captain  Cy  knew  better  than  to  attempt  his  hur 
ried  trip  by  way  of  the  road.  He  had  no  desire  to 
be  held  up  and  congratulated.  He  went  across  lots, 
in  the  rear  of  barns  and  orchards,  wading  through 
drifts  and  climbing  fences  as  no  sane  convalescent 
should.  But  the  captain  at  that  moment  was  suf 
fering  from  the  form  of  insanity  known  as  the  fixed 
idea.  She  had  done  all  this  for  him — for  him.  And 
his  last  message  to  her  had  been  an  insult. 

He  approached  the  Bangs  property  by  the  stable 
lane.  No  one  locks  doors  in  our  village,  and  those 

396 


don't  think  I'd  ought  to  let  you  shake  hands  with  me, 
Phoebe.'" 


of  the  perfect  boarding  house  were  unfastened.  He 
entered  by  way  of  the  side  porch,  just  as  he  had 
done  when  Gabe  Lumley's  depot  wagon  first  de 
posited  him  in  that  yard.  But  now  he  entered  on 
tiptoe.  The  dining  room  was  empty.  He  peeped 
into  the  sitting  room.  There,  by  the  center  table, 
sat  Phoebe  Dawes,  her  elbow  on  the  arm  of  her 
chair,  and  her  head  resting  on  her  hand. 

"Ahem!  Phoebe!"  said  Captain  Cy. 

She  started,  turned,  and  saw  him  standing  there. 
Her  eyes  were  wet,  and  there  was  a  handkerchief 
in  her  lap. 

"  Phoebe,"  said  the  captain  anxiously,  "  have  you 
been  cryin' ?  " 

She  rose  on  the  instant.  A  great  wave  of  red 
swept  over  her  face.  The  handkerchief  fell  to  the 
floor,  and  she  stooped  and  picked  it  up. 

"Crying?"  she  repeated  confusedly.  "Why, 
no,  of  course — of  course  not!  I — How  do  you  do, 
Captain  Whittaker?  I'm — we're  all  very  glad  to 
see  you  home  again — and  well." 

She  extended  her  hand.  Captain  Cy  reached  for 
ward  to  take  it;  then  he  hesitated. 

"  I  don't  think  I'd  ought  to  let  you  shake  hands 
with  me,  Phoebe,"  he  said.  "  Not  until  I  beg  your 
pardon." 

"  Beg  my  pardon?     Why?" 

He  absently  took  the  hand  and  held  it. 

"  For  the  word  I  sent  to  you  when  I  went  away. 

397 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

'Twas  an  awful  thing  to  say,  but  I  meant  it  for  your 
sake,  you  know.     Honest,  I  did." 

She  laughed  nervously. 

"Oh!  that,"  she  said.  "Well,  I  did  think  you 
were  rather  particular  as  to  your  visitors.  But  Mr. 
Tidditt  explained,  and  then —  You  needn't  beg  my 
pardon.  I  appreciate  your  thoughtfulness.  I  knew 
you  meant  to  be  kind  to  me." 

"  That's  what  I  did.  But  you  didn't  obey  orders. 
You  kept  comin'.  Now,  why 

"Why?  Did  you  suppose  that  /  cared  for  the 
malicious  gossip  of — such  people?  I  came  because 
you  wrere  in  trouble,  and  I  hoped  to  help  you.  And 
— and  I  thought  I  had  helped,  until  a  few  minutes 
ago." 

Her  lip  quivered.  That  quiver  went  to  the  cap 
tain's  heart. 

"Helped?"  he  faltered.  "Helped?  Why, 
you've  done  so  much  that  I  can't  ever  thank  you. 
You've  been  the  only  real  helper  I've  had  in  all  this 
miserable  business.  You've  stood  by  me  all  through." 

"  But  it  was  all  wrong.  He  isn't  the  man  at  all. 
Didn't  Mr.  Peabody  tell  you?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  told  me.  What  difference  does  that 
make?  Peabody  be  hanged!  He  ain't  in  this.  It's 
you  and  me — don't  you  see?  What  made  you  do  all 
this  for  me?  " 

She  looked  at  the  floor  and  not  at  him  as  she 
answered. 

398 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

"  Why,  because  I  wanted  to  help  you,"  she  said. 
"  I've  been  alone  in  the  world  ever  since  mother  died, 
years  ago.  I've  had  few  real  friends.  Your  friend 
ship  had  come  to  mean  a  great  deal  to  me.  The 
splendid  fight  you  were  making  for  that  little  girl 
proved  what  a  man  you  were.  And  you  fought  so 
bravely  when  almost  everyone  was  against  you,  I 
couldn't  help  wanting  to  do  something  for  you. 
How  could  I?  And  now  it  has  come  to  nothing — 
my  part  of  it.  I'm  so  sorry." 

"  It  ain't,  neither.  It's  come  to  everything. 
Phoebe,  I  didn't  mean  to  say  very  much  more  than 
to  beg  your  pardon  when  I  headed  for  here.  But 
I've  got  to — I've  simply  got  to.  This  can't  go 
on.  I  can't  have  you  keep  comin'  to  see  me — and 
Bos'n.  I  can't  keep  meetin'  you  every  day.  I 
can't." 

She  looked  up,  as  if  to  speak,  but  something,  pos 
sibly  the  expression  in  his  face,  caused  her  to  look 
quickly  down  again.  She  did  not  answer. 

"  I  can't  do  it,"  continued  the  captain  desper 
ately.  "  'Tain't  for  what  folks  might  say.  They 
wouldn't  say  much  when  I  was  around,  I  tell  you.  It 
ain't  that.  It's  because  I  can't  bear  to  have  you 
just  a  friend.  Either  you  must  be  more'n  that,  or — 
or  I'll  have  to  go  somewheres  else.  I  realized  that 
when  I  was  in  Washin'ton  and  cruisin'  to  California 
and  back.  I've  either  got  to  take  Bos'n  and  go 

away  for  good,  or — or " 

399 


CY    WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

She  would  not  help  him.     She  would  not  speak. 

"You  see?"  he  groaned.  "You  see,  Phoebe, 
what  an  old  fool  I  am.  I  can't  ask  you  to  marry 
me,  me  fifty-five,  and  rough  from  knockin'  round 
the  world,  and  you,  young  and  educated,  and  a  lady. 
I  ain't  fool  enough  to  ask  such  a  thing  as  that.  And 
yet,  I  couldn't  stay  here  and  meet  you  every  day, 
and  by  and  by  see  you  marry  somebody  else.  By  the 
big  dipper,  I  couldn't  do  it !  So  that's  why  I  can't 
shake  hands  with  you  to-day — nor  any  more,  ex 
cept  when  I  say  good-by  for  keeps." 

Then  she  looked  up.  The  color  was  still  bright 
in  her  face,  and  her  eyes  were  moist,  but  she  was 
smiling. 

"  Can't  shake  hands  with  me?  "  she  said.  "  Please, 
what  have  you  been  doing  for  the  last  five  minutes?  " 

Captain  Cy  dropped  her  hand  as  if  his  own  had 
been  struck  with  paralysis. 

"Good  land!"  he  stammered.  "I  didn't  know 
I  did  it;  honest  truth,  I  didn't." 

Phoebe's  smile  was  still  there,  faint,  but  very 
sweet. 

"Why  did  you  stop?"  she  queried.  "I  didn't 
ask  you  to." 

"Why  did  I  stop?  Why,  because  I— I— I  de 
clare  I'm  ashamed " 

She  took  his  hand  and  clasped  it  with  both  her 


own. 


"  I'm  not,"  she  said  bravely,  her  eyes  brightening 
400 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

as  the  wonder  and  incredulous  joy  grew  in  his.   "  I'm 
very  proud.     And  very,  very  happy." 

There  was  to  be  a  big  supper  at  the  Cy  Whit- 
taker  place  that  night.  It  was  an  impromptu  affair, 
arranged  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  by  Captain  Cy, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  lawyer's  protests  and  anxiety 
concerning  his  health,  went  serenely  up  and  down  the 
main  road,  inviting  everybody  he  met  or  could  think 
of.  The  captain's  face  was  as  radiant  as  a  spring  sun 
rise.  His  smile,  as  Asaph  said,  "  pretty  nigh  cut  the 
upper  half  of  his  head  off."  People  who  had  other 
engagements,  and  would,  under  ordinary  circum 
stances,  have  refused  the  invitation,  couldn't  say  no 
to  his  hearty,  "  Can't  come?  Course  you'll  come! 
Man  alive  !  I  want  you." 

"Invalid,  is  he?"  observed  Josiah  Dimick,  after 
receiving  and  accepting  his  own  invitation.  '  Well, 
I  wish  to  thunder  I  could  be  took  down  with  the 
same  kind  of  disease.  I'd  be  willin'  to  linger  along 
with  it  quite  a  spell  if  it  pumped  me  as  full  of  joy  as 
Whit  seems  to  be.  Don't  give  laughin'  gas  to  keep 
off  pneumonia,  do  they?  No?  Well,  I'd  like  to 
know  the  name  of  his  medicine,  that's  all." 

Supper  was  to  be  ready  at  six.  Georgianna,  as 
sisted  by  Keturah  Bangs,  Mrs.  Sylvanus  Cahoon, 
and  other  volunteers,  was  gloriously  busy  in  the 
kitchen.  The  table  in  the  dining  room  reached  from 
one  end  of  the  big  apartment  to  the  other.  Guests 

401 


CY   WHITTAKER'S    PLACE 

would  begin  to  arrive  shortly.  Wily  Mr.  Peabody, 
guessing  that  Captain  Cy  might  prefer  to  be  alone, 
had  taken  the  Board  of  Strategy  out  riding  behind 
the  span. 

In  the  sitting  room,  around  the  baseburner  stove, 
were  three  persons — Captain  Cy,  Bos'n,  and  Phoebe. 
Miss  Dawes  had  "  come  early,"  at  the  captain's 
urgent  appeal.  Now  she  was  sitting  in  the  rocker, 
at  one  side  of  the  stove,  gazing  dreamily  at  the  ruddy 
light  behind  the  isinglass  panes.  She  looked  quietly, 
blissfully  contented  and  happy.  At  her  feet,  on  the 
braided  mat,  sat  Bos'n,  playing  with  Lonesome,  who 
purred  lazily.  The  little  girl  was  happy,  too,  for 
was  not  her  beloved  Uncle  Cyrus  at  home  again, 
with  all  danger  of  their  separation  ended  forever- 
more? 

As  for  Captain  Cy  himself,  the  radiant  expression 
was  still  on  his  face,  brighter  than  ever.  He  looked 
across  at  Phoebe,  who  smiled  back  at  him.  Then 
he  glanced  down  at  Bos'n.  And  all  at  once  he  real 
ized  that  this  was  the  fulfillment  of  his  dream.  Here 
was  his  "  picture  " ;  the  sitting  room  was  now  as  he 
had  always  loved  to  think  of  it — as  it  used  to  be.  He 
was  in  his  father's  chair,  Phoebe  in  the  one  his  mother 
used  to  occupy,  and  between  them — just  where  he 
had  sat  so  often  when  a  boy — the  child.  The  Cy 
Whittaker  place  had  again,  and  at  last,  come  into 
its  own. 

He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  looked  about  the 
402 


CAPTAIN    CY'S    "PICTURE" 

room;  at  the  stove,  the  lamp,  the  old,  familiar  furni 
ture,  at  his  grandfather's  portrait  over  the  mantel. 
Then,  in  a  flash  of  memory,  his  father's  words  came 
back  to  him,  and  he  said,  laughing  aloud  from  pure 
happiness : 

"  Bos'n,   run  down  cellar  and  get  me  a  pitcher; 
of  cider,  won't  you? — there's  a  good  feller." 


(7) 


THE   END 


816454    3 


